Diary of a Muser
by pwoperbellamy
Summary: Sam Leeds, a Muse fanatic, meets Ethan Bellamy and the two experience a very a-muse-ing senior year in high school.
1. Introduction

August 31, 2010

Dear Diary,

Um, I've never really done this before. The only reason I'm doing this now is because I don't want to hurt my mom's feelings for not trying. My mom thought it would be a good idea for me to write in a diary so I can "share my memories and wisdom with future generations". Uh-huh, yeah. She needs to lay off the parenting books.

I should probably introduce myself. My name is Samantha (you can call me Sam) Leeds, as in the festival in Great Britain. I'm 18 years old and I'm about to embark on my senior year in high school, thank goodness! I love my family and all, but I am going as far away as possible as soon as I graduate! Living in Charlesburg, Pennsylvania is not exactly a ton of fun. Unless you go hunting or race four-wheelers through the forest, you will be very bored here. We even have a day off school for the first day of deer hunting season, no lie. I just love waking up to the sounds of shotgun blasts echoing from the forest.

I am the middle child of three children. My older sister, Joanie, is in some internship at this fancy-pants law firm in New York City. She always boasts about the big time clients that come to the office every time she visits, which was cool at first but is now getting really annoying. My younger brother, Kevin, is the more tolerable sibling in the family. He's going to be starting his freshman year and he's starting to learn how to skateboard and mountain bike. As long as he doesn't start sagging his pants and listen to Eminem, he can do whatever he wants. My parents…well, they're just my parents. I've already mentioned my mom and her parenting books. My dad is the more relaxed one in the family. He and my mom own a construction company called Leeds Construction (creative huh?) and they've done a bunch of projects around Charlesburg, including renovating the broken down high school.

Probably the most important thing you should know about me is that I am _addicted_ to music. It's the air I breathe, the blood that pumps through my veins. Okay, that might have been a little dramatic but I really do love music. My headphones are constantly in my ears blasting some sort of song. I listen to mostly alternative and punk rock, unlike the majority of kids in my school who like Justin Beaver or Nickelback. My two favorite bands are Muse and Green Day. It's so hard to choose one over the other. I can't possibly decide between Billie Joe's snarky lyrics or Matt Bellamy's absolutely amazing voice. Both bands cover every inch of my bedroom walls. I even have pictures of them on the sides of my dresser! Talk about being a fangirl. Despite being crazy about them, I've never seen them, or any band, live. I'm a concert virgin! That's going to change though. Muse is on tour right now and I'm determined to get a ticket! I just need to convince one of my parents to drive me to the venue. I really need to get my license.

Well, I guess I should leave it at this then. Tomorrow is the first day of school and I have to debate on which Muse t-shirt I should wear.

P.S- I've decided to call you Jimmy. "Dear Diary" sounds too girly and the name Jimmy is used in both a Muse and Green Day song.


	2. New Kid in Town

September 1st, 2010

Dear Jimmy,

Very interesting things happened today. I met up with my friends before homeroom and we just talked about how our summers were. They all laughed and rolled their eyes when they saw my Muse logo t-shirt and my "Rage and Love" wristbands I decided to wear as my first-day-of-school ensemble.

"I'm not even surprised", Nicole giggles.

"How much do you spend on those two bands?" Alex laughs.

"Not enough", Nicole replies.

The bell rings and we all head off to our classrooms. Nicole and I sit in the back while the announcements come on, welcoming everyone in Charlesburg High to a new school year. I've had the same homeroom teacher for the past three years, so he doesn't even bother getting up and telling everyone the mandatory speech on rules and behavior.

Nicole and I look at our schedules, even though we've known what our classes were going to be ever since the beginning of August.

"Why do you have to be so smart?" Nicole pouts and she looks at my schedule. "What is this? AP Psychology? You're not even going to be a psychologist. What do you want to take that class for?"

I shrug. "It sounds interesting. That's going to be my 'fun class' this year!"

Nicole's eyes widen. "Fun? How is taking a college class fun? Forget it, you're too smart for me. Go memorize the dictionary or something."

I laugh and put my books away. The bell is about to ring any second now. "At least most of us have lunch together. That'll be fun, right?"

Nicole nods as the bell rings. "You bet! Well, catch you later!"

I wave goodbye and head down the hallway to my first class, Anatomy and Physiology. I should take a break and mention that I am planning on becoming a doctor when I'm older. I love science as much as I love music. I like reading health articles and I pay attention to medical news. I'm a bit of a geek and I'm proud of it. Me and my friends decided long ago that being popular was not the most important thing in life. We get good grades and still have a good time, even if having a good time means playing Dance Dance Revolution for hours when most teenagers are out partying and drinking. Back to the story…..

"This year you will be studying the different body systems and how they interact with each other", Mr. Caprelli says as he drags out a huge box from the storage room in the back.

"You will also be dissecting these!" he pulls out a plastic bag and drops it on his desk. A girl in the front screams and jumps back.

"What the heck?" she says as she moves her stuff to the back. Everyone crowds around the pillow-case sized bag. A few people gasp and join the girl. I take a closer look and find a cat, vaccum-sealed inside the bag.

"These are your kitties", the teacher states proudly, "You will get to know them very well this year!"

"Whoa" I whisper, looking at the animal. It's weird seeing a common household pet stuffed into a bag and sealed as if it's lunch meat.

"Um Mr. Caprelli?" the girl that screamed says shakily, "Is it okay if I drop out of this class? I decided I'm not interested anymore." A few people nod their heads.

Mr. Caprelli shugs. "Suit yourself. This class is not for the weak of heart", he says before chuckling darkly.

The bell rings again and I head over to AP Psychology. I notice that there are only about six students seated as the class begins.

"Okay" the teacher sighs, "No surprise that there is barely anyone here. Not many people like to take AP Psychology. Most students would rather take the basic course and get an easy 'A' out of it. You guys are different, which is good." He looks over at me and smiles. "Great band" he says, indicating my shirt. A smile grows wide on my face. I think I'm going to like this class.

As the teacher, Mr. Jones, finishes going over the class syllabus and hands us our textbooks the principal, Dr. Cunningham, enters the room. Following her is this guy I've never seen before, yet he seems so familiar. He's thin, has black, messy hair, and slightly pale skin. He's wearing jeans and a t-shirt in a language I don't recognize, although it looks like it could be a band shirt. He is looking at the ground as he walks in, so I only see his profile. He has a cute, small nose.

"You don't have to do this" he says embarrassed to Dr. Cunningham. I realize he has a British accent. Not from around here, I think.

"I'm sorry to interrupt" Dr. Cunningham says brightly, "I was showing our new foreign exchange student around the school." The boy's face turns red. "Class, I'd like you to meet Ethan Bellamy."

Ethan lifts up his head and says "Cheers" nervously. My eyes open wide with shock as I look up and see his dazzling blue eyes. My mind goes back to my countless Muse posters and how Matt's eyes are the same shade of blue as Ethan's. They even look the same! I try to remember the countless interviews that I have read or watched with Matt. Did he ever mention if he had siblings? I shake off the silly thought. Even if Matt did have a younger brother, why would he want to go to some hick-town high school in the States?

As Mr. Jones gets Ethan situated in the class, two guys sitting a few rows away begin talking and laughing quietly.

"He's thinner than my golf club" one of them cackles.

"He's paler than that Edward guy" the other snickers.

"The fact that you even know the names of the characters in 'Twilight' is pretty sad to me" I mutter at him. The first guys laughs and receives a punch from his friend. They stop commenting on Ethan and proceed to kick each other.

"Well" Mr. Jones says, "There's only a few minutes left but you can choose a seat that way I can put you on the attendance sheet."

Ethan smiles and looks around the room. He then walks over and slides into the seat right next to me. Remember, there are only seven, now eight students in a classroom of about 25 available seats. He had plenty to choose from, yet he decided to sit next to me.

"I think I'll sit here" he says, his shyness fading away.

I muster up enough courage to face him. "Hello" I say, smiling and trying not to gaze into his eyes, "My name is Sam."

Ethan looks up from his notebook he was doodling in and smiles. He even has a little wonky tooth like Matt's! "Hey there", he says, shaking my hand. He turns my wrist slightly to read my wristband.

"I'm the son of rage and love, the Jesus of Suburbia", he quotes, smiling at my reaction. "Big fan" he laughs. He looks at my shirt. "Now that", he points, "is a proper band right there!" I practically pass out from excitement. He listens to Muse! It's hard to find anyone in this town that has heard of Muse, and I've just met two in one class period!

"They're amazing!" I laugh "I have all of their albums and a bunch of B-sides. Their posters line my walls in my bedroom. They've inspired me to play instruments." I stop before I go into full fan-girl mode.

He looks shocked. "Wow" he says, "I only listen to Uprising." I feel my heart practically breaking in two.

"Oh" I say sadly "That's nice. The Resistance is a good album."

He starts snickering and covers his mouth. "Did you seriously believe me?" he giggles. I realize he was joking and playfully punch his shoulder.

"Ow" he says, rubbing his arm and winking at me, "My favorite album is Showbiz, although my favorite song is Bliss."

"Bliss is my favorite song too!" I reply as the bell rings. We both look visibly upset as our Muse-y conversation must come to an end.

Ethan glances at his schedule. "Do you have seventh period lunch?" he asks.

I nod eagerly. "Yes!" I say, "You should come sit with me and my friends. You'll like them!"

Ethan breathes a sigh of relief. "Great" he replies, "I guess I'll see you seventh period, if I can ever find the lunchroom!" He follows a crowd up a staircase and I make my way towards Spanish.

This day is turning out muy bueno!, I think to myself.

The next few classes pass by slowly as I anxiously wait for lunch to come around. I'm excited about meeting up with my friends, but I also want to continue my conversation with Ethan. My friends have grown tired of me constantly talking about music and they tend to drone me out once I start telling them about show dates and album releases. How is that not exciting to them?

Seventh period come already!

I finally make my way towards the lunchroom. I spot Ethan waiting in line for a slice of pizza. I playfully nudge his ribs and say "That pizza has enough grease to clog your arteries for the rest of your life!"

He contemplates the oily meal and says, "Thanks for telling me", grabbing a peanut butter and jelly sandwich instead. I grab a turkey sandwich and an apple while he gets a banana. I let off a little fan-girl squeal in my head as I think about how eerily similar he is to Matt.

We pay for our meals and l look for my friends in the crowded lunchroom. I see them waving at us next to a set of doors leading out to the courtyard.

"What are we waiting for?" Olivia asks as we get closer, "Let's get outside! Remember that seniors are allowed to eat in the courtyard?"

"I totally forgot about that!" I reply. One of the perks of being a senior is that we can eat out in the beautiful courtyard at the picnic tables instead of inside the stuffy lunchroom. As we choose a table, we see classmates lounging on the grass or eating underneath some trees.

"I can get used to this!" Alex laughs as we sit down. Ethan sits silently next to me, unsure of what to do or say.

"Hey guys!" I announce, "This is Ethan, a friend of mine. He's from England."

"Hey there!" my friends say. They all introduce themselves and Ethan seems to get more comfortable with the group. He's soon laughing with us and joining along in the conversation.

As we finish up our meals Nicole asks, "So Ethan, has Sam scared you away yet with her Muse fanatics?"

Ethan smiles and looks at me. "I'm actually a big fan of Muse as well", he states. I stick my tongue out as she sighs, "ANOTHER one?"

I turn to Ethan. "I was wondering if you ever saw them live?", I ask. My friends groan and leave the table to go play a game of hacky-sack on a patch of grass.

Ethan smiles and nods. "Quite a few times actually. San Siro, Wembley, Royal Albert Hall, Glasto, Big Day Out, Reading, and a few gigs here in the States."

I stare at him open-mouthed. "Lucky!" I whine, "I've never seen them live. I want to so bad though!"

"I'm sure you'll see them soon enough", he replies.

For the rest of lunch, we talk about a few other bands and exchange phone numbers. The bell rings again and we have to go our separate ways to classes.

At the end of the day, I find Kevin and we walk towards my car in the student parking lot.

"So how was your day?" I ask bubbily.

"Fine. I guess." He says, a bit weirded out by my happy attitude, "What's gotten into you?"

"Oh nothing", I say. I'm about to unlock the car when I hear a familiar noise coming from the far end of the parking lot.

"What is that?" Kevin asks. We both watch as a blue car pulls up slowly next to us. The window closest to us rolls down and 'Supermassive Black Hole' comes blaring from the speakers. Inside is Ethan, wearing a smirk and a pair of sunglasses.

"Have a nice day!" he shouts over the guitar solo and speeds away. Several students are staring at us as the car leaves the parking lot.

"Who was that guy?" Ethan asks as we are backing out of the parking spot.

"Someone very interesting" I mumble to myself.

Something's very fishy here.


	3. My beating heart belongs to you

September 15th, 2010

Dear Jimmy,

What? Did you really think I was going to write in this thing every day? I'm surprised I even made it past the second day! Nothing very exciting has happened to me. Family is well, school is good, and friends are great. Ethan and I are becoming really good friends. I've never met someone who shares almost all of my interests. We talk during lunch while my friends have their own conversations or play in the courtyard. Sometimes we join them, other times we're just so caught up with different topics that we don't realize they've left. The lunch ladies have kicked us out of the lunchroom twice since we were still in the cafeteria long after everyone had left for their next class.

I decided to pop the question to Ethan during lunch today.

"So, has anyone ever said you look and act a lot like Matt Bellamy?"

Ethan chokes on his milk. "What?" he asks.

I blush. "It's just that, you look so much like him and I've noticed you act like him too! You eat bananas and pronounce your R's all funny. AND your last name is Bellamy!"

Ethan chuckles, "Bellamy is actually a really common last name in Britain", he answers, "Kind of like someone being named Mr. Jackson or Ms. Smith here. As for looking like him, well guess I'm lucky I look like one of my idols. And acting like him?" He blushes. "What can I say? I really admire Matt and I sometimes act like him. Call me a fanboy."

I laugh and hug him. "Let's be fangirls and fanboys together!" I say.

"What have we been doing for the past two weeks? Calmly discussing Muse?" he chuckles.

September 18th, 2010

Dearest Jimmy,

I think I might have a boyfriend now. Let me start from the beginning.

I called up Ethan this morning and asked him if he wanted to go on Main Street with me so I can show him around Charlesburg (it was more of an excuse just to hang out with him). He agreed and twenty minutes later, we met outside the high school. I put on my best tour guide impression and ponted out several shops as we walked through the main part of town.

"Here we have a few bars", I explained, "Every night you will find one of Charlesburg's fine citizens passed out drunk on the ground or puking in the flower bushes."

Ethan laughed, "Are you really going to show me around town?"

"Nah. This town is too boring to give a tour. How about we get something from Starbucks and go to the park?"

We entered Starbucks. I ordered a vanilla bean Frappuccino while Ethan ordered some type of smoothie. We sat at a counter facing the street and silently watched the cars pass by while we drank.

Breaking the silence I asked, "Why did you decide to come here? Out of all the schools you could have gone to, you go here. Charlesburg would have been the last place I would go if I was from a different country."

Ethan thinks for a second before answering, "I wanted to try someplace different. Most foreign exchange students like to go to places such as Chicago or Boston to experience more culture and attractions but this place is fine. If I had gone anywhere else, I would have never met you."

I blush and continue drinking. I notice Ethan watching me from the corner of my eye, but I can't figure out what to say to him. He gently slides his hand into mine and squeezes it softly. I feel butterflies (and hurricanes) in my stomach. In a way we both knew that we were going to end up together. All of our friends notice how we are always talking to each other and they jokingly say that we are "made for each other". Well, I've always wanted to be with a guy who is as crazy-obsessed with Muse as I am and I get Ethan, who is like that and even more. AND he likes me back! Giving up on trying to find something smooth to say, I finally turn to him and say, "Let's go."

Still holding hands, we exit the café and make our way up to the park. I notice a few dark clouds in the sky.

"The weather man said that it was supposed to be sunny today" I comment.

"How accurate is he?" Ethan asks.

"Not very" I reply as more clouds appear and the sky turns black. I feel a few raindrops fall on my hair.

"I guess we can't go to the park" I say sadly.

Ethan looks up at the sky and smirks, "Who says we can't?"

A few minutes later, we are running around the empty park in the pouring rain. We splash through puddles and get our clothes dirty from all of the wet woodchips. We decide to play tag and as I'm chasing Ethan, he goes down a slide. I quickly follow after him and when I reach the end of the slide, he is standing there, smirking at me.

"Tag" I say, poking his chest, "You're it!"

Ethan quickly wraps his arm around my waist and kisses me softly on the lips. No amount of lightning from the storm around us could compare with the electricity from that kiss. "I believe you are it again" Ethan whispers.

I smile and wrap my arms around him. "I don't feel like playing anymore", I reply before kissing him again. Ethan chuckles and guides us to a covered picnic pavilion. We sit on top of a table, Ethan's arms wrapped around me. We watch as the wind makes the rain fall sideways.

Ethan reaches into his sweater. "I've had this for a while, but I've been waiting for the right moment to give it to you", he says as he pulls out a small white envelope and hands it to me.

Smiling, I open the envelope and look inside. There is a tiny piece of paper. I pull it out and almost scream in shock.

It's a ticket. To a concert. A Muse concert. Next month. General Admission.

Ethan pulls out another ticket from his pocket and asks, "Want to go with me?" I laugh and practically tackle him, ending up on top of him. I give him a great big kiss and reply, "Of course!"

October 23rd, 2010

Hey Jimmy,

I really need to improve on how often I update you. It's been over a month since I last wrote something. A couple of things have happened. Ethan and I are an official couple now. I introduced him to my parents, who were a bit wary at first since we had just come from the park in the rain. I think if you want your boyfriend to make a good impression, you should have him clean himself up first. After getting past the fact we were both filthy, they warmed up to Ethan.

"He's such a lovely young man!" my mom replied in a horrible British accent after he had left.

"Be careful Sam. Sometimes 'being lovely' is all a part of the act." My dad warned.

My friends were not at all surprised when they saw us walking in holding hands the Monday after. In fact….

"ABOUT TIME!" Nicole shouted in the hallway.

"What took you guys so long?" Olivia laughed.

Now it's the night before the concert and I invited Ethan over to have dinner with my family. As we are waiting for the chicken to finish cooking, Ethan and Kevin are playing Halo on the Xbox in the living room while I'm tuning my guitar on the couch.

"Sniped you again!" Kevin laughs as Ethan's character falls dead on the ground.

"You were screen-looking!" Ethan says, "How could you have possibly known where I was unless you were cheating?"

A loud explosion from the television startles me from my concentration.

"Now you're screen-looking!" Kevin laughs. It looks like Ethan blew up a car Kevin was hiding behind.

"Dinner's ready!" my parents call from the dining room. We drop our things to join them.

"Are you guys ready for tomorrow?" my dad asks while we are eating.

Ethan and I eagerly nod our heads. "I just wish it was tomorrow already!" I reply, practically bouncing from excitement on my chair.

"Your father has to leave early for a project in Pen Argyl on Monday morning, so I will be taking you guys to the concert tomorrow", my mom says." I already reserved us a suite at a place near the venue since it will be too late to drive all the way back here. I'm sure you won't mind missing school the next day."

"I can never concentrate the day after a Muse gig anyways!" Ethan laughs.

After dinner, Ethan and I go into my room so he can help me decide which t-shirt I should wear tomorrow. As we walk in, his eyes go wide at the amount of Muse posters I have around my room. I forgot he's never been in here before!

"Ta-da!" I say weakly, gesturing to the walls. Ethan looks around and starts chuckling.

"Impressive" he comments as he looks at a collage of Muse LOLZ I printed out and placed on a poster board, giggling at a few of the jokes. Standing next to a poster of Matt, Ethan and him look practically the same.

In order to distract myself from the weird situation, I walk over to my closet and begin pulling out t-shirts and throwing them on my bed. "This is my first ever concert and I want everything to be special, including my outfit!" I say.

Ethan looks at the pile of shirts I have. "Well, you should take out all of Green Day shirts. How awkward would that be if you have Billie Joe's face at a Muse gig?"

"At least I don't have any Radiohead shirts" I say, pulling a few shirts from the pile.

Ethan picks up a few shirts and looks at them. He is debating between a couple when he says, "I can't do this! I think you would look fine in whatever you chose. You could wear a leopard print tank top and still look good!"

I walk over to my dresser and pull out five leopard print tank tops. "Which color?"

Ethan laughs loudly and gives me a hug. "You cwack me up sometimes", he sighs.

"You just switched your R with a W just like Matt!" I laugh.

He kisses me on the cheek. "Don't make fun of my speech impediment!" he pouts.

"I'm sorry", I reply, "I won't to do it again, I pwomise!"

Ethan begins tickling my sides. "Stop!" I giggle, "You know I don't like that!" I break free from his embrace and move towards the door.

"Not so fast!" he replies, quickly pulling me to the floor and continuing to tickle me. Tears are soon falling down my cheeks from laughing so hard.

"Take it back!" he warns.

" 'You cwack me up sometimes!'" I gasp, quoting him.

Just as I'm about to pass out from laughing too much, my dad suddenly bursts into the room. Ethan and I jump about a mile from each other. "What are you guys doing?" he asks nicely.

"Just l-looking for a shirt that Sam can wear tomorrow", Ethan stammers.

My dad smiles. "You know you guys need your rest for tomorrow", he replies before slowly backing out of the room.

"Dad", I groan after he closes the door. I look at Ethan apologetically. "I'm sorry about that."

"He's just being a good father", he replies, checking his watch. "I suppose I should get back home anyways."

As we are walking to the driveway I say, "You know my t-shirt issue still hasn't been resolved yet?"

Ethan stops suddenly. I look back and see he has a huge smile on his face.

"I have the perfect idea!" he replies, quickly getting into his car.

"What is it?" I ask, watching as he excitedly puts the key into the ignition.

"It's a surprise, you'll love it!" he answers before giving me a quick kiss and closing the door.

Confused, I just stand there as he speeds off down the road, 'Stockholm Syndrome' blaring in the car.


	4. Anticipation is killing me!

October 25th, 2010

Dear Jimmy,

I'm extremely tired but I have to write all of this down while the memories are still fresh. I've only gotten about three hours of sleep last night (more like this morning).

Yesterday morning

My phone buzzes on my night table right next to my head. Groaning, I look at the clock. 8 AM? Who is texting me at this time? I rub my eyes and grab my phone, Ethan. Confused, I open the text and read.

**Time to wake up! We need to leave in an hour if we want to make it to barrier tonight! Don't worry about the shirts, I have something special for you…. –E**

Realization strikes me as I slowly read the text. Tonight's the night I'm seeing Muse! I hurriedly jump out of bed and start getting ready. As I'm brushing my teeth, my mom sleepily shuffles into the bathroom.

"I can't believe you guys want to wait hours in line just for a concert", she yawns, watching me get ready.

"This isn't just some show Mom", I reply, "This is a MUSE concert! I'm sure there are people already waiting in line as we speak!"

Mom just shrugs and walks back into her bedroom. I go to my closet, wondering what Ethan plans on giving me. I hear excited knocking on the front door. Still in my PJs, I run over to answer the door. Ethan is standing in front of me with a wide grin on his face while holding up a black t-shirt. On the front is this impressive drawing of Muse's three tower stage set-up with the band logo cutting across the middle. He flips the shirt around and on the back it reads in big white letters.

Muse

Prudential Center

Newark, NJ

10/24/10

"Do you like it?" he asks sheepishly, trying to read my reaction. I'm absolutely shocked. I've never seen a more amazing shirt!

I reach out to touch the shirt and say, "Have I told you lately that you're the greatest boyfriend ever!"

Ethan grins and hands me the shirt. I notice that he is wearing the same shirt, only in red.

"I was worried that the design would not come out well on the shirt", he comments as we walk into the house.

I look at the shirt again. "Did you make this yourself?" I ask, shocked at how quickly he was able to make these.

"I had the design saved onto my computer for months", Ethan answers, "I've been meaning to put it on a shirt and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to use it. It _is_ my girlfriend's first Muse concert!"

I smile as he wraps his arms around me. "If you keep trying to smooch me, we will never make it to the barrier!" I laugh, pushing him away. "Let me get dressed and hope that my mom is almost done."

"Don't worry, I'm ready", my mom says, entering the room. "I know I will never hear the end of it if I was the reason you guys were not as close to the band as possible." She goes into the kitchen and starts packing treats inside a bag. "So you guys don't get hungry while in line", she explains, trying to fit an entire bottle of Dr. Pepper into the bag.

I quickly dress and gather up my belongings. Ticket? Check. Camera? Check. Muse Cds to listen in the car while we drive to the venue? Check. Ready to go.

"That was quick", Ethan comments as I stand next to the front door, itching to leave. "I just want to go already!" I whine. I have never been so excited in my life. These next 11 hours are going to go by so slowly!

The three of us pile into the car and head towards Newark. As we get on the highway, I decide to put on The Resistance, Uprising's bass shaking the windows as we drive. Ethan air-guitars in the backseat while I tap the drum beat with my hands on my lap. My mom just decides to bob her head along to the chorus. As Guiding Light comes on, Ethan starts to belt out the lyrics loudly, causing me to break down in a fit of giggles.

After what seems like endless driving, we finally reach the exit for the Prudential Center.  
>As we go through the neighborhoods, I begin to get a bit nervous. "Why would Muse want to perform here?" I ask, noticing a man glaring at our car from the sidewalk.<p>

"It has been a while since they've been in Jersey" Ethan explains, "Although Newark would not be my first choice in a city to perform in."

We turn a corner and notice a very large and impressive building in the distance. "That has to be the venue!" I cry out. As we get closer, I notice a small line of people waiting by a set of doors.

"That must be for the pit" ,Ethan says, "We'll definitely make barrier tonight!"

The car pulls up on the sidewalk next to the venue. "Have a nice time kids!" my mom says happily, "I'm going to rest a bit at the hotel, but I promise I will stop by a few times to make sure you are okay."

Ethan and I quickly jump out of the car and run over to the line of Musers. There are about 15 people in front of us.

"Hey there!" a girl greets us as we take our places in line, "Excited for tonight?"

"You bet!" Ethan says, looking at the giant building.

A boy farther up the line shouts, "Only ten more hours until the show starts!" Everyone cheers loudly. As I finish clapping, I realize. _Ten more hours?_

Yesterday afternoon

As the hours crawl by, more and more people begin waiting in line. I have never seen so many Musers gathered together in one place! Everywhere I turn; I see a Muse logo on a shirt or hear "Plug in Baby" blasting from someone's headphones. We talk with the groups of people next to us in line about the upcoming show. A few people comment on how much Ethan looks like Matt. Ethan simply laughs and thanks them.

My mom runs over to us around three to see how we are doing. "How come you haven't been eating any of the snacks I packed?" she asks, looking through the bag and making a big fuss over us.

"Mom", I say, embarrassed, "It's okay. We promise we'll eat something before they let us inside!"

As she opens a bag of chips, Musers around us turn their heads in our direction. "Would you like some Doritos?" she asks. A few eagerly nod and hold their hands out. Mom moves up and down the line, feeding hungry Musers.

"One word of advice", Ehan chuckles, "At a concert line, everyone is your friend and it's always nice to share." A few nearby Musers agree with him. Smiling, I take out the rest of the snacks and announce, "Who's hungry?"

Two hours before the show

Security guards come out to give us wristbands. "It's so no one can sneak into the pit if they're not allowed to", Ethan explains, pointing out a number on the band, "Since we're one of the first ones here, we'll be able to go inside first."

Ethan's phone suddenly rings. "Excuse me", he replies before picking it up, moving slightly away from the line to talk.

I pretend to be busy studying my shoelaces while listening to his conversation. He looks really excited talking to whoever is on the other line.

"How have you been? Yeah, I'm excited about tonight. She's right next to me!" Ethan grins, looking at me. He then rolls his eyes and says, "No you cannot talk to her. She'll get a chance to see you soon. I hope Muse plays Citizen Erased tonight." He says that last sentence with a teasing tone. His eyes go wide with shock.

"Wanker", he giggles to himself, shutting off his phone.

"Who was that?" I ask nonchalantly.

"My friend Mark from the message boards, he's here tonight. We'll probably see him after the show really quick", Ethan answers.

One hour before the show

"WE'RE GOING INSIDE!" I shout, seeing the doors opening. Musers around us begin to cheer. We move closer to the building, Ethan whispers, "As soon as they check our tickets and bags, RUN! The race to barrier is almost as fun as the concert." I nod; suddenly glad I can run so well in my Converses. The second we are checked out, Ethan and I sprint like mad into the giant room. I see the three towers on the other side of the room, almost stumbling at the sight. I can't believe I'm actually here!

"Quick Sam! They're catching up to us!" Ethan cries out, looking behind him. I speed up and together we run straight in to the barrier, knocking the breath out of me. "We did it!" I say, smiling widely. I look up and notice we are right in between where Matt and Dom's towers stand. "Nice spot too!" I remark.

Eventually, the arena begins to fill up with excited fans. I look up and am surprised to see how high some of the seats go, and how those areas are getting filled as well. When you're a Muse fan and you have a chance to go to a gig, I suppose it doesn't matter if the boys look like ants from where you're standing.

I check my watch. 7:28. "Only two more minutes left!" I say. Ethan grins and asks, "You ready?"

I'm about to answer him when suddenly, all the lights have gone out and people begin to scream.

It has begun.


	5. The Greatest Show on Earth

"Oh it's just Metric", I say sadly as the supporting act comes on. I forgot about them.

"You're not too disappointed are you?" Ethan says, trying to hold back the amusement on his face from my reaction. "The main act usually doesn't perform until much later."

"No, I suppose not", I answer, "These guys must be pretty good if they're supporting Muse."

And they were good. Granted, I didn't know the lyrics to the songs compared to everyone else around me, including Ethan. After a couple of songs, I was really getting into the spirit and was enjoying myself. Metric finished their set and the lights came back on.

"Let's get this show on the road!" I said, a few Musers clapping in approval.

"This part is always the worst, waiting between the support and the main act", Ethan sighed, looking at the towers. A smile grew on his face. "Look at that", he says pointing at Matt's tower. There was a small glow from one of Matt's Kaoss. "The guitar tech is prepping a few of the guitars that Matt keeps up there so they might be starting sooner than we think."

"That's a relief", I reply, becoming startled at the sound of drums. A few people start cheering and chanting "Muse!"

And _finally_, the lights begin to go down and the towers light up with the walking people for "We are the Universe". The entire arena cheers loudly. I'm literally shaking from so much excitement. Ethan looks completely awed at the sight, as if he's never been to a Muse gig before. As the people begin to fall on the towers and there's a brief second of darkness, we both scream loudly. The curtains fall and there they are. Muse! My voice goes up an entire octave at the sight of them. Matt is wearing his flashy, metallic suit with his trademark flashing glasses, Dom is wearing his "wetsuit", and Chris is wearing his striped red-and-black suit. Seeing them in person, performing their songs, is simply the greatest feeling ever, and they haven't even been through one song yet!

During the intro to "Uprising", Matt shines lasers into the audience. As soon as he plays that first guitar chord, I practically flip out. The entire pit is pushing against the barrier, but me and Ethan are prepared for this. We stand our ground and we don't get pushed around. As Matt begins to sing, I quietly sing along, although I belt the chorus along with everyone else. During the outro, everyone begins jumping around and dancing, at least a lot more than during the song. I cheer loudly as the song ends and "Map of the Problematique" begins.

After "Map of the Problematique" is "New Born". We all clap in time to Morgan's keyboard playing. Once they have finished the outro, Matt goes to the microphone and yells something that sounds like gibberish to me.

"Did you understand what he just said?" I ask Ethan.

"I never understand him! Just cheer and go along with it!" Ethan laughs.

Muse goes through "Supermassive Black Hole", "Resistance", and "Hysteria" amazingly. Next up is "Nishe". As the lights dim and Dom and Chris are playing, I notice Matt's beloved piano being placed on the tower.

"'Eurasia' must be up next", I comment. I look over at Ethan, who has a giant grin on his face. Before I ask him what's going on, I hear the sound of a guitar.

_What in the world?_

You know those moments that you swear you will never forget for as long as you live? I had one of those moments when I turned around and saw Matt standing there with his guitar instead of sitting at the piano. When I heard those first few seconds of "Citizen Erased", my heart just about stopped. I thought I was dreaming. _This can't be real! When is the last time they played CE in the states?_ After that, I pretty much flipped out. I was singing my freaking lungs out! I didn't care who heard me or saw me acting like an idiot. Ethan looked like he lost his cool as well, singing along with me and jumping around. At the end of the song, I was practically in tears from all of the joy I was experiencing. I suddenly decided to grab Ethan and gave him a giant kiss, causing everyone around us to cheer. Dom must have noticed because he was looking at us and smiling when Ethan and I broke apart.

"What was that for?" Ethan asked, arms still wrapped around me.

I shrugged. "I guess that was a 'thank-you' for taking me here tonight." I answered.

Ethan chuckled, "I need to take you to gigs more often!"

"United States of Eurasia", "Feeling Good", "Helsinki Jam", and "Undisclosed Desires" were performed. While Matt was playing "House of the Rising Sun", he walked along the edge of the stage, stopping practically in front of us. He gave us a quick wink before walking to his spot to play "Time is Running Out".

"Did you see that?" I asked Ethan excitedly.

"He probably thinks you're cute", Ethan replied, "Which I completely agree with!"

"You just want another kiss!" I teased, pecking him on the cheek.

After "Time is Running Out" was "Starlight". Everyone clapped the famous TITS drum beat along with Dom and during one part of the song, Matt stopped singing and the entire arena was filled with the audience singing in unison. That was another one of those I-will-never-forget-this moments.

Right before "Plug in Baby", Matt was playing with a spotlight that was reflecting light off his guitar. He moved the light around the arena, shining it on different sections of the audience. He eventually got the people in the stands to do the wave!

As the opening riff began, everyone cheered and began jumping around. During the second chorus, I heard screaming behind me. Turning around, I saw giant eyeball balloons dropping down from the sides and bouncing around the pit. A few balloons made their way to us and popped, confetti covering us. I laughed as Ethan tried to get the confetti from his hair.

The band left for a quick between the main set and the encore. "Enjoying yourself?" Ethan asked.

"No I'm having a miserable time!" I replied sarcastically.

Muse came on again and performed "Exogenesis" and "Stockholm Syndrome". As I heard Chris begin to play the harmonica, my heart dropped. _This is it? The last song?_ It seemed like the concert barely started and now it's over!

"Let's make the best of this song!" Ethan yelled as "Knights of Cydonia" began. I swear, everyone must have been thinking the same thing because everyone got absolutely crazy. I saw about four crowd-surfers and even Ethan managed to get on someone's shoulders for a few seconds before jumping off. As the song ended and machines let off giant pillars of steam, I was in tears again. Tonight was truly the greatest night of my life. My throat hurts from screaming, my body aches from moshing, but it was all worth it.

The lights come on again and everyone starts heading towards the exits. I follow the crowd for a bit, then turn around and notice Ethan still at the barrier, talking to one of the security guards. They both seem to be laughing and joking around. _Maybe that's Mark that Ethan mentioned earlier._ As I walk back Ethan says, "Great news! This guy is going to let us backstage."

My eyes go wide. "Are you serious?" I shriek, looking at the two of them, unable to believe what I'm hearing.

"Sure!" the man replies, "Anything for….." He stops and looks at the both of us. "Just hop over here and I'll lead you to the band."

We jump over the barrier and follow the man backstage. "How did you manage to do this?" I whisper to Ethan, looking around and watching various members of Muse's crew packing up instruments or taking notes.

"I just asked if it would be okay if we met the band since we're huge fans and have been here since the morning, and he said yes", Ethan said. Something wasn't adding up here. I bet that guy has heard that reason at least five times a night, yet he's allowing us to go meet the band. I shrugged and continued walking. _Now is not the time to be skeptical. Now is the time to meet Muse!_

The security guard led us into a dressing room and told us that the band would meet us in a few minutes. After he closed the door, I practically jumped on Ethan saying, "I can't believe we're going to meet them!"

"I know!" he said, "Remember, they're people too so we have to be calm and collected."

"I'm not sure if I can do that", I answered nervously. How am I supposed to act calm when my idols are going to be entering the room any minute now?

"As long as you don't go trying to make out with one of them, I'm okay", Ethan joked.

"That's a shame, I was really hoping to get lucky with Dom tonight" I sighed, resting on the comfortable couch in the middle of the room. Ethan walked over.

"I always knew you liked blonds!" Ethan growled, holding my arms above my head. I giggled as I tried to squirm away from his grasp, but his grip was too strong. He looked at me lovingly in the eyes.

"I need to tell you something", he said. What he had to say, I did not hear because the door opened and someone shouted "Ethan, quit snogging your girlfriend and come hug your brother!"


	6. Black Holes and Revelations

Ethan and I looked at the voice coming from the door. Standing there was _Matthew Bellamy_, his arms open wide and grinning. He had changed from his concert attire and was dressed in jeans and his "What's the pig deal?" t-shirt everyone makes fun of.

"Well?", he asked, waiting for some type of response.

Ethan let go of me and walked over to Matt. "I never liked that shirt", he said, flicking Matt's shoulder. Matt quickly grabbed Ethan's head and held it underneath his armpit.

"Do you want a closer look?" Matt cackled as Ethan tried to break away.

"MY GOD YOU SMELL AWFUL!" Ethan yelled, failing to push Matt away.

"Look at you, embarrassing yourself in front of your girlfriend", Matt sighed, winking at me. I sat, frozen on the couch. _I knew it! I knew there was a connection between the two of them! Brothers! But wait, why didn't he tell me sooner? He lied right to my face!_

Anger suddenly swelled up inside of me. This guy that I really liked and trusted had been lying to me for the past month about who he really is!

_Think about it_, my more sensible side asked me,_ Would you go around announcing to people that your sibling is a famous rockstar?_

_Probably not._

_See? He is only trying to protect himself from people hurting and using him because of who he's related to._

I shook off the voices in my head. "I really need to stop talking to myself", I muttered under my breath. Ethan had jabbed Matt hard enough in the ribs to let Ethan go.

"This is not exactly the introduction I was hoping for", Ethan grumbled, "Sam. Matt. Matt. Sam."

Matt turned his full attention on me. _My God is he hot!_ I surprised myself by thinking. I just couldn't help myself. Those blue eyes had taken all of my attention. He had a cute, confident smirk on his face.

"Hello there", he replied sweetly, taking out his hand to shake mine. Before I could pull away, he lifted up my hand and kissed it softly. I suddenly burst out in giggles. I looked over at Ethan, who did not seem amused. I mouthed 'I'm sorry' to him and a small smile appeared on his face as he rolled his eyes.

"Are you upset with me lying to you about Matt?", he asked. Matt looked confused.

"Wait a second", Matt said, "This entire time you guys have known each other, NOW is when she knows that we're brothers?" He angrily faced Ethan. "You can be such an idiot sometimes!"

"You should have seen her reaction when she found out I'm a Bellamy!" Ethan retorted. "It was just like the girls back home! If I told her right away about being related to you, she would have reacted a lot differently."

Matt and I gasped at the same time. "Wow, that really hurt", I said sadly, "I was going to say 'I forgive you', but you just think of me as some crazy groupie that will do anything just to get with the band."

"No, sweetie I didn't mean it like that!" Ethan said, trying to hug me, but I pushed him away.

"I'll wait by the exit down the hallway while you talk to your brother", I said hollowly, "But don't take too long because we have to get back to the hotel." I gave a quick smile to Matt and left the room. By the time I had reached the exit, I was in tears for the third time this night. Only this time they were tears of rage and sadness. I slid to the floor, tracing patterns on the ground with my fingers, not noticing the people passing by me.

After about ten minutes, I was about to get up and leave Ethan when a voice said softly, "Samantha?"

I looked up. Matt was the only person in the hallway, a worried look on his face. "Would it be okay if we talked for a minute?" I nodded and tried to discreetly wipe away the tears from my face while he sat down next to me.

Matt had to gather his thoughts for a second before he spoke. "It's not easy for my brother to be related to me", Matt said, "Especially living in England where everyone knows about Muse. He went out with girls from his school, thinking they genuinely liked him, when all they wanted was access to the band. When he refused to do that, they left him. He's been hurt way too many times and he decided he finally had enough and joined the foreign exchange program. Then he met you. After that first class with you, he called me in a panic and asked me what I should do. I asked him, 'Do you like her?' He said, 'Like you don't even know'. He called you 'pretty', and 'smart', and 'very sweet'. I thought _if this kid feels like this after only spending fifteen minutes with her, she must be the real deal._ I told him to keep me a secret until the moment seemed right. I suppose he was just so happy being with you that he simply forgot to bring up the little rock star sibling secret he had."

I sighed, taking in all that Matt had told me. "Wow", I said, "I never knew how vulnerable he was. He never liked to talk about his old girlfriends with me."

"Yeah, they were all real…" Matt couldn't think of a good enough insult for them. "Anyways, do you forgive him? He really does care about you and wants to make it up to you."

I sighed. "I suppose so", I say smiling. We both stood up from the ground.

"Oi Ethan!" Matt yelled, "I just saved your relationship!"

Ethan timidly came out of the dressing room. "Hey Sam", he said shyly. I grinned and walked over to him, planting a big kiss on him. He sighed in relief and hugged me.

"I'm really sorry babe, I should have told you sooner", Ethan whispered into my hair.

"It's practically forgotten now", I replied.

"Now that we got that nasty problem taken care of", Matt said, wrapping his arms around both our shoulders, "It's time to have some fun!"


	7. Shenanigans

"Did someone say fun?" a voice asked behind us. In walked Dom and Chris, both changed into more casual clothes. "Fun is my middle name!" said Dom.

"If that's true, then 'Fun' is my middle name as well!" scoffed Matt.

"Right, forgot about that!" Dom muttered. He looked over at me. "You're the girl that was making out with Ethan during 'Citizen'!" he said. He smirked at Ethan. "Good choice mate!" he said, giving him a thumbs-up.

"Obviously you know who these two are", Ethan replied, gesturing to Dom and Chris. "Guys, this is Sam, my girlfriend.

Dom and Chris both smiled at me. "Pleasure to meet you!" Chris said, shaking my hand. Dom wrapped an arm around me. "It's about time Ethan got a girlfriend!" he joked.

_I am easily the luckiest girl on the planet!_

"Where are you guys staying at tonight?" Matt asked.

"At the Hilton a couple of blocks away from here", Ethan replied.

Matt took out his cell phone. "Good, because I am not going to be stuck in some boring, fancy hotel room tonight! Hello? Is this the Hilton reservation desk? Yes, I'd like to book three rooms, all joined together, for tonight! Name? Matthew Bellamy. Yeah, that's right, the Muse dude. Thank you vewy much." He ended the call and looked at us.

"Let's get going then!"

The five of us made our way out of the building. Before we reached the exit, Matt pressed his ear against the door. "I'd say there's about 20-25 people out there", he commented.

"Do you want us to wait at another exit?" Ethan asked, "People might get suspicious if they see us walking out with you guys."

Matt smirked and threw his arm around me. "They can make their own assumptions!" he remarked before throwing open the door. Matt was right. There were about 20 people waiting for the band to leave the venue, all of them clamoring for an autograph.

"MATT. DOM. CHRIS!" they all screamed, trying to get a glimpse of them. Ethan made his way to the big, black SUV, but Matt had his arm tightly wound around me. I stuck to his side as he signed tickets and posed for pictures.

"Just have some fun!" Matt whispered into my ear. I smiled at a few of the fans, who looked confused at the sight of me.

"Can I just go with Ethan?" I pleaded. Matt sighed and let me go. I jumped into the car and slide into the backseat with Ethan. We watched as the band continued to sign autographs. As soon as the fans seemed satisfied, Dom announced, "We hope you guys have a great night! Thanks for coming! Cheers!"

They started to walk to the car when one girl shrieked, "Matt! I want to touch your butt!"

All three of them froze. Matt turned around. "You want to touch my arse?" he asked, bewildered.

The girl nodded frantically. "More than anything!", she replied!

Matt turned to his bandmates and laughed. "Got to keep them happy!" he said before walking over to the girl. When he was in front of her, he bent over seductively and said, "Go nuts!"

The girl squealed with joy and grabbed Matt's bum. Matt 'oomphed' with surprise. "Quite a firm hold you got there!" giggled Matt before standing up. The girl was jumping up and down and shrieking, "I touched his butt!"

The band jumped into the car before any more fans could demand them to do weird things.

"How is your girlfriend going to react when she finds out about this?" Ethan laughed.

"Please, Kate? I dumped her sorry butt weeks ago! Too Hollywood for me! I am single and free as a bird!" Matt exclaimed. "I'll let anyone touch my bum!"

"To the Hilton!" Chris ordered the driver. The car ride itself lasted a whole thirty seconds, mainly due to the reason we had to stop at a red light. At least we were able to get away from the psycho fans.

We walked into the empty hotel lobby. At the reception desk was a bored male secretary, flipping through some files and sighing. Matt strode over to him and said, "We're the ones who reserved a room, er three, earlier? Under Matthew Bellamy?"

The man did not even look up from his files as he handed Matt the keys and said, "You're on the fifth floor. No one's reserved a room on that floor. No prostitutes."

"Erm, thank you?" Matt said before walking back to us. "Go ask your parents if you guys can come to our room and we'll continue the fun from there!"

As we headed to the elevator, the doors opened and my mom came marching out. This is not a good sign.

"Where have you been?" she shouted me and Ethan. "Do you realize that the concert should have ended almost an hour ago, yet you are just getting here now? Where have you two been?"

"Mom", I said embarrassed, "We lost track of time."

"What were you two doing huh? Having sex in some dirty alleyway I suppose!"

"MOM! We met Muse! Look, they're right here!"

That's when my mother finally noticed that Matt, Dom, and Chris were standing there, watching the entire ordeal go down.

"Oh dear!" she said, turning deep red. "You must think I'm horrible! Um, my name is Mrs. Leeds."

"Matt Bellamy, Ethan's brother", Matt replied.

"You don't say! That is really impressive! My daughter has posters of you all over her wall!"

"MOM!" I groaned, "PLEASE!"

"I'm flattered!" Matt laughed, smirking at me. "I was wondering. I haven't seen Ethan in such a long time because of touring and I'd really like to get to know Samantha more. Would it be okay if they came to visit us in our hotel room upstairs? "I pwomise to send them back at a reasonable time!"

Mom smiled. "Take them for as long as you want!" she said happily before going on the elevator again. "You kids have fun!" she called out before the doors closed.

"Your mother jumped to conclusions rather quickly", commented Chris, "Sex in a dirty alleyway?"

"When she doesn't know where I am, she assumes that I'm high, having sex, or having sex while high", I answered, "And I haven't done any of those things!"

"I had sex while shroomed up before", said Dom, thinking back, "It was really….." He stopped because Matt was glaring at him. "Well, that's another story for another day! Let's get upstairs shall we?"

We all stepped into the elevator and went up the fifth floor. "We are in rooms 510-512", said Matt, looking at the keys he was given. "You guys go in; I'm going to get some stuff from the tour bus. Dom, come with me?"

"What, took scared to walk the streets of Newark by yourself?" Dom said.

"Yeah, that's right. If some rapist attacks, I'll use you as my human shield."

"Such a good friend!"

The two of them entered the elevator while me, Ethan, and Chris entered the hotel rooms. "In all honesty, those two are probably going to snog the entire time", commented Chris.

I spun my head around. "I KNEW IT!" I always had a feeling BellDom was real, and now here's the proof!

Chris bent over laughing. "That's a joke!" he said between laughs, "Those two will sleep with anything wearing a skirt!"

"Would they sleep with cross-dressers?" Ethan chuckled.

"Well, you know what I mean!"

Chris walked over to the mini bar in the kitchen. "I sure hope they bring some beer. I've been dying for one ever since the show started!" he sighed, settling for a water bottle and sitting on the couch, pulling out his cell phone. He began talking to someone I guess was Kelly, so Ethan and I decided to go into the other room to give him privacy.

In the other room was a balcony, so we decided to walk out and enjoy the view. We could see the Prudential Center, some fans still walking around. I sighed and put my head on Ethan's shoulder. "This morning when I woke up", I said, "I just thought we were going to see an amazing show. We've done that, and SO much more! Tonight is easily the best night I've ever had!"

"Easily the best you've ever had huh?" Ethan said.

I smiled at his reference to 'Easily'. "Yes, easily the best I've ever had!"

About half an hour later, Matt and Dom entered the room. "Hey there lovebirds!" Dom said, setting down a few bags on the coffee table.

Matt began opening a few guitar cases. "Ethan tells me you can play the guitar", Matt said to me, pulling out his Black Manson. "How about a little show?"

I gaped at the guitar. "Are you serious?" I cried out, taking in the guitar. Matt began fiddling with a small amp.

"Of course I am! I've heard myself play enough times. It's someone else's turn!"

Smiling, I began to play 'Dead Star'. Ethan, Matt, and Dom watched with wide eyes. Chris came over from the other room to see what all the noise was.

Towards the end, I got a bit overexcited and somehow blew up the amp. It made a weird "Bzzt!" noise before the sound warbled and stopped.

"Oh crap!" I said, studying it. "I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to do that!"

Matt laughed. "That's a really old amp that I never use anymore. You're doing me a favor by killing it!" He looked over at Ethan. "You're right, she's amazing!"

"How about the drums?" asked Dom, handing me a pair of drumsticks and setting up a snare. I tapped out a quick little beat. "Okay, you'll do!" he said.

"I can play the piano, guitar, drums, and some bass", I said modestly, "Of course, not as well as you guys."

"You chose a good one mate!" Chris said, thumping Ethan on the back.

"She's incredible!" Ethan replied, looking at me with his heart-melting smile. I blushed and stared at my feet. "Are we just going to stand here and make me play music all night?" I asked.

Matt chuckled as he picked up a duffel bag. "Of course not!" He walked back over to the door. "Follow me!"

All of us walked into the hotel lobby. Matt walked over to the far end of the hallway and began taking out plastic bowling pins from the bag. I had no idea what was going on, but Ethan and Chris began to get excited.

"I haven't played this since I saw you guys at Wembley!" Ethan said.

"We haven't played that much during this tour because people would always complain about us being too loud in the hotel room", Dom said, "Now that we have the floor to ourselves, we can do whatever we want!"

"Um, what exactly is this?" I asked.

"This, my dear Samantha, is called 'Hotel Bowling'!", called Matt from the end of the hall. He had set up the pins and was walking back towards us.

"Ethan, Chris? Would you mind finding us some maids' carts?", he asked. The two of them nodded and walked around the corner.

"This is a game we developed during the Absolution Tour", explained Dom, "We get carts and push them down the hallway to knock down the pins. Points are awarded mainly for style."

"You get a bonus if you are loud enough to have someone complain!" cackled Matt.

"Look what we found!" Chris called out. He and Ethan came into sight, pushing two carts topped with cleaning supplies. "Right out in the open and everything!"

"Why don't I start so Sam can understand how the game works?" offered Dom, grabbing hold of one of the carts. He began running towards the pins and let go of the cart halfway down the hallway, the cart crashing into the wall and falling on top of the pins, bottles of Windex and Clorox falling everywhere. The guys cheered as Dom set up the pins again.

"Understand now?" Ethan asked.

"I think so!"

"Good, because you're next!" Matt said, pushing me forward.

I stared at the pins, contemplating on how to knock them down. Thinking of my idea, I took off all of the items on top of the cart and began running. When I got close to the pins, I jumped on top of the cart and rode it like a surfboard. When the cart hit the pins, it tipped forward and I rolled onto the ground. I could hear the guys laughing and clapping behind me.

"I'm not sure how anyone can top that!" Chris said.

After a few rounds of 'bowling', we went back into the hotel room, talking and eating loads of junk food Matt and Dom brought from the tour bus. Chris and Dom told me funny tour stories while Matt and Ethan caught up with each other since they hadn't had the chance to talk in months. Soon, the conversation began to die down. The band looked completely exhausted and I was falling asleep on Ethan's shoulder. I looked over at the hotel clock.

"Crap, it's 5 AM!" I yawned, too tired to even move.

"Might as well stay here the rest of the night", Ethan said, stretching out on the couch, "I know we won't be able to make it back to our room before we fall asleep in the elevator or something."

"You're probably right", I sighed, lying down next to him. I looked over at the band. Matt was snoring quietly on a loveseat while Dom and Chris were snoozing in recliners.

"So much for reserving three rooms!" Ethan muttered in my ear.

Before I could respond, fatigue overcame me and I fell asleep.

This morning

Loud banging woke all of us suddenly around 8 AM.

"Can't you read the sign?" Matt grumbled, "It clearly says 'Do Not Disturb'!" Cursing underneath his breath, he walked over to answer the door.

Ethan stirred next to me. "Good morning sweetheart", he said, kissing my forehead. I smiled and stretched out on the sofa.

"Good morning to you too!" I said.

"Tom, can't you read the sign?" Matt sighed, when he opened the door and there stood Tom Kirk, Muse's media manager.

"Can't YOU remember that we have to leave in two hours for Raleigh?" Tom said.

"Ah, crap!", Matt muttered. He turned to us, "Alright guys, no more beauty sleep! We've got two hours to get up and go and we know that Dom needs at least 90 minutes to choose his outfit for the day!"

"Go brush your teeth!" grumbled Dom into his pillow. Chris got up and headed towards the bathroom, yawning loudly.

"If you guys still have some time, we'll be downstairs eating breakfast", said Ethan.

Matt nodded to his brother and me and Ethan left to our hotel room. When we got inside, I could hear my mom still sleeping in the bedroom.

"Let's just pretend we've been here the entire time so my mom doesn't find out we spent the night with Muse", I whispered, grabbing my toothbrush and a change of clothes from my bag.

"Such a rebel!" Ethan chuckled.

After I had cleaned myself up and changed, Ethan did the same and we headed downstairs to the breakfast lounge. The band was already there; Chris drinking coffee, Matt waiting by the waffle-maker, and Dom deciding on whether to choose a blueberry or pumpkin muffin, eventually getting one of each.

"You guys are quick", I commented, grabbing some sausage and toast and sitting down.

"Tom keeps us in line", Matt said from the waffle-maker. "We would be late to almost everything if it weren't for him." The waffle-maker beeped and Matt said, "Finally!" before grabbing his food and drowning it in syrup.

"I guess Mum telling us to cut back on the sugar never had any effect on you?" asked Ethan as he watched Matt devour the sticky meal.

Matt rolled his eyes. "I am a grown man! I think I can handle my sugar intake!"

"Sure, sure."

After breakfast, the band had to pack their bags into the tour bus. Before they left, we all joined in a supermassive group hug.

"It was so great to finally meet you!" Matt said, "I'm glad you make my brother so happy. I'm sure we'll be seeing each other a lot more!"

"Keep on practicing that bass okay?" said Chris, ruffling my hair.

"If you get bored of Ethan, be sure to call me okay?" said Dom, handing me his number and avoiding punches from both Matt and Ethan.

"Find someone your own age, you old pervert!" Matt chuckled. He turned to Ethan. "Keep her happy okay? Or else I will personally come up and kick your ass for her."

I smiled and hugged Ethan. "No need to do that! He's made me that happiest I have ever been!"

Eventually, the guys could not put off leaving any longer. They hopped into the tour bus and drove off, ready to rock more Musers' worlds. At that moment, my mom walked up behind us and asked, "So, how was your night."

Ethan and I looked at each other before I said, "Amazing!"


	8. Unintended Consequences

October 29th, 2010

Jiiiiiimmy!,

Ethan was right. The entire week after the concert, the only thing I could think about was that night. One minute, I'm trying to focus on a teacher lecturing, the next I'm back in Newark, riding a cart down the hotel hallway. During Psychology, I would glance over at Ethan and notice he was having another Muse daydream.

During Halloween, the school allows us to wear costumes during class. Since the holiday fell on a Sunday this year, Costume Day was pushed to today. All week I tried to get Ethan interested in wearing a costume, but he would push off the idea.

"It's just not my thing", he sighed after I had pestered him for the tenth time.

Well, I wasn't going to let Ethan's lack of holiday spirit bring me down! This morning, I put on yellow skinny jeans, a black button-down shirt, sunglasses, and Converse. To complete the look, I put on a short, blond wig. I walked into the kitchen, where Kevin was eating cereal while wearing a helmet from the Halo videogame.

"What do you think?" I asked, readjusting my wig.

"What are you supposed to be?" he said, "A blond Justin Beiber?"

I gaped at him. "No! Dom Howard from Muse, see?" I took out my drumsticks.

Kevin rolled his eyes. "That was supposed to be a joke!" he commented, walking past me out of the kitchen.

"You never answered my question!"

The parking lot of Charlesburg High was filled with goblins and witches galore. Some people went all out with their costumes while some, like my brother, put no effort in.

_I bet Ethan feels out of place now!_

"Well, this is awkward" I heard Ethan say from behind me. Smiling, I turned around and gasped. It turns out that Ethan _did_ wear a costume. He was wearing all black with a red Dior jacket on top. Strapped around him was a REAL Glitterati Manson.

"Holy Bellamy!" I said, admiring the guitar.

"I decided to use my genetics to my advantage and dress up like my brother!" Ethan said. "Do you like it? I was afraid my jacket wasn't going to fit. I've gotten chubby since I last wore it.

I snorted at that comment. Ethan is thinner than a twig, but he makes it work.

"And you just happened to have a Manson lying around?" I chuckled.

Ethan grinned. "Last year's Christmas present", he replied.

"Well Mr. Bellamy!" I said, pulling him closer, "I think you look absolutely pwoper! If I didn't know any better, I would think you were the real Matt!"

"What if I am?" he asked, doing an eerily accurate impression of Matt's voice.

"Then Ethan better not be around to see this!" I said, kissing him fiercely

"I always knew you had a thing for my brother", Ethan said, pretending to be mad.

"Noooo, you idiot!" I said, doing my best Dom impression. "You know you're the only one for me."

Ethan smiled. "That's good to hear. I feel the same about you. And may I add that you are the best looking drummer I have ever seen!"

I looked at the both of us. "We should send a picture to the boys!" I laughed, taking out my camera.

"Matt and Dom are going to flip" Ethan chuckled. "They know about 'BellDom' so this will just be the icing on the cake. They'll probably say that we planned this."

"They can make their own assumptions", I said, quoting Matt from earlier in the week. We put on our best lovey-dovey faces and took a few pictures.

"I think that is sufficient to creep them out for the rest of their lives", Ethan said, observing the photos.

"Wow, we really look like them in this one, except for the fact that you're nibbling my ear", I giggled.

"Do you want me to do that again?" he asked, pulling me close. I squealed in surprise. Suddenly, there was a flash of light next to us. Looking over, we saw a short, middle-aged man with a camera, trying to hide behind a truck.

"Oi!" Ethan shouted, "You can't just come onto school property and stalk students!"

The man scowled, and then snapped another picture of us before running off.

"That was weird", I muttered, "Maybe we should tell the school police about that.."

Something was not right. I noticed a few students staring at us, some of them taking out their phones to snap pictures. Ethan looked pissed.

"Um, what's going on?" I asked nervously as I could hear a few girls mutter our names.

"Just follow me and don't look at anyone", Ethan said quickly, "We need to get inside."

Focusing on Ethan's back, I followed Ethan quickly to the school building. Even more people were staring at us as we entered. I heard Ethan curse quietly and say, "I can't believe this is happening again!"

"Ethan, will you please tell me what's…" I was interrupted again by another voice.

"Samantha, Ethan, will the two of you please step inside my office?" someone demanded. A chill ran down my spine as I turned around and saw the stern face of Dr. Cunningham staring at the two of us and holding open the door to her office.

_Oh my goodness what have I done? _

I tried to remember anything bad I have done that would require a meeting with the principal. Nothing. Was skipping school on Monday to recover from the concert really that bad?

Ethan and I quickly walked into the office and sat down. Dr. Cunningham strode over to her desk and sighed deeply, looking at a pile of magazines stacked on it. I glanced at them and noticed they all had pictures of me, Ethan, and Muse from Sunday night.

I read some of the headlines. "Bellamy Brothers party in Newark", "Ethan Bellamy found in the States", "Mystery girl spotted with Muse". Ethan glared angrily at the magazines, as if he wanted them to burst into flames.

"Imagine my surprise when I walk into a gas station this morning and I find these next to the cashier", the principal said, gesturing to the pile. She looked at Ethan. "For someone who told me he didn't want his celebrity status revealed, you do a poor job of hiding it."

"Do you think I wanted this?" Ethan hissed, holding up a magazine with a large picture of me and Ethan kissing on the hotel balcony. "I came here to avoid my twisted celebrity persona in England. People only liked me because I am 'Matt's brother'". He scoffed at the title and tossed the magazine back on the desk. "Think about some celebrities you guys have here. Although it doesn't happen that often, their siblings get famous, _even if they do absolutely nothing!_" He groaned and leaned back in the chair.

I watched him. It seemed that Ethan being Matt's brother was both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, he gets to hang out with one of the biggest bands on the planet, the other, he was unwillingly thrown into the spotlight.

"What are we going to do?" I said, mostly to myself.

"It's a little too late now", said Dr. Cunningham to Ethan, "The tabloids know you're here and they will constantly follow you around. You can try talking to your foreign exchange program to get a school change, but since these things are national, someone is bound to recognize you again."

Ethan shook his head and looked over at me. "I'm not going anywhere", he sighed, the answer directed to me. "I'm so sorry I brought this fiasco into your life."

I smiled and squeezed his hand. "Everyone has some baggage", I joked, "It'll all get better soon."

Dr. Cunningham coughed loudly to get our attention again. "Since you are staying, I will remind the both of you to not abuse your newfound celebrity status. You both have some of the best grades in this school, and you will continue to do so in an honest manner. I do not want to hear about you getting 'special treatment' from others. Understood?"

We both nodded. "Yes ma'am", we replied. I looked over at the magazines. "Do you mind if I take those?" I asked politely.

Ethan and Dr. Cunningham looked startled. "Go right ahead", she said, "Although I'm not sure why you would want those. They belong in the trash."

"Don't worry, I'll take care of these", I replied, grabbing the magazines and walking out of the office.

Ethan followed after mine. "What exactly are you planning on doing with those?" he asked.

We both stopped in front of a trash can. One by one, I ripped up a magazine and threw the pieces in the bin. Once I was finished, I took a half-empty bottle of Gatorade I had in my backpack and emptied it inside the garbage.

"Dr. Cunningham _did_ say these belonged in the trash", I said, turning to Ethan.

Ethan smiled and hugged me. "That's my drummer!" he chuckled.

The rest of the day could be defined in one word: awkward. I could feel everyone's eyes on me, and I know it wasn't due to my costume. The teachers behaved a bit better, but I noticed they acted different around me. For example, during Anatomy, "Uprising" started to play from the radio and Mr. Caprelli shot a glance at me. I tried to ignore his stares and continued to focus on labeling a skeleton.

Luckily, my friends were good-natured about the whole ordeal. They asked us questions about meeting Muse during lunch, but they knew when enough was enough and we soon moved on to other topics.

When I got back home, I decided to email Matt the pictures that Ethan and I took this morning. Only ten minutes after I sent the email, my phone rang. Smiling at the Caller ID, I pressed "Answer" and innocently said, "Why, hello Matt!"

"Do the two of you sit around and plan how to psychologically scar me?" Matt grumbled, Chris and Tom's loud laughter in the background.

"Matt!" I heard Chris yell, "I never knew you and Dom were so affectionate with each other!"

I laughed along with them. "How is Dom reacting?" I asked.

"He probably went to burn those yellow skinny jeans after seeing that picture of Ethan grabbing your arse", replied Matt, a chuckle in his voice. "You have just made things very awkward in the Muse tour bus."

"Have you seen the tabloids yet?" I said, changing the subject.

Matt sighed. "Yes, unfortunately. A few paparazzi followed us around New Orleans today, asking about you two. I simply said we had a festival to prepare for and promptly flipped them off."

"You know that is the type of reaction those people want to get from you right? The press can turn you into the worst person in the world even if you are just a guy who likes too much syrup on his waffles."

Matt laughed. "I do not care how the world sees me. As long as the people I care about the most know the real me, I am happy."

"I just wished people would treat us the same", I sighed. "Everywhere I went, someone was whispering or pointing or taking a picture of me! I was ready to yell at them."

"That's the price of being famous", Matt said. "Just have some patience, do not do anything dramatic, and try to enjoy yourself. Hopefully they will lose interest and treat you normally again."

I smiled. "Thanks Matt. I hope you guys have an awesome final show tonight at Voodoo!"

"Any suggestions on what we should play?"

I thought about it for a minute. "Anything except 'Guiding Light'!"

Matt gasped. "Now that is just mean!"


	9. Rumors

November 6th, 2010

Dear Jimmy,

While practicing on the keyboard this morning, I received a surprise phone call from Joanie.

"How come you never told me you were dating a celebrity?" she asked in a hurt tone.

I rolled my eyes. "One, Ethan is not a celebrity; he's just related to one. Two, you never care who I date, so why are you doing it now?"

"Your life was always so boring compared to mine. Now that something interesting is going on, I want to know more about it. Who wants to read a boring history book when you can have a sizzling tell-all autobiography?"

"Ugh, go sue Paris Hilton!" I yelled before shutting off my phone. Now I know why I like Kevin more.

A few hours later, there was a message from Joanie in my inbox. I almost deleted it but decided not to. Maybe she wanted to apologize.

I clicked on the message and read:

_Ethan's had a lot of adventures with some ladies back home. Has he told you about his dirty deeds?_

Listed underneath the message were three links to well-known tabloid websites. A feeling of unease swept over me. _What should I do? Should I read these stories? These types of tabloids like to trash celebrities with lies. But, Joanie isn't dumb enough to actually believe these things, is she? Or maybe she's just jealous that I'm in a relationship and she wants me to read this garbage so I believe it and break up with Ethan. Should I wait for Ethan to show up and confront him about it? Will he tell me the truth, or will he lie about it?_

I shook off the thoughts in my head. "I'll decide what to do later", I told myself, pulling up another window and going to the Muse message boards.

"Yes! I can finally download the Newark show!"

While my computer was downloading the songs Muse performed that night, I browsed through some of the topics on the message board. I went to the "You Know You're Addicted To Muse When" thread and contemplated how the boardies would react if I put YKYATMW you're dating Matt's brother. _That_ would get the PMTers riled up!

A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. I turned around as Ethan came inside. "Surprise!" he said happily. I smiled and gave him a kiss as he sat down in a chair next to me. "Ah, anything interesting on the boards today?"

"Just the usual. People talking about the last few shows, complaining about setlists, and fangirling over the guys."

Ethan chuckled. "Never gets old." He noticed the small window in the corner with the downloading box. "Is that the Newark show?"

"It is! I can't wait to hear how Citizen Erased turned out! I'm going to burn this on a CD so I can listen to it in the car."

"I bet you'll be listening to it for a month straight", Ethan teased.

"Probably", I chuckled. The computer finished downloading and the window closed down, leaving up the email from Joanie, right where Ethan could read it perfectly.

"Oh crap!" I muttered, closing the window quickly. The both of us remained in awkward silence for a few seconds, thinking about the email.

"Not exactly the best way to start up a topic huh?" I asked nervously. I looked over at Ethan and was surprised to see him look so hurt.

"No matter where I go, my past keeps on haunting me", he sighed, rubbing his eyes.

"Ethan", I said, grabbing his hands, "It's time you tell me the truth, the _whole _truth. If we want to continue this relationship, we need to be honest with each other. No dirty little secrets."

"It's not going to be pretty", Ethan muttered.

"I'd rather find out from you than from those guys", I said, gesturing to the email with the links.

Ethan nodded. "You're right." He turned out chairs so that we were facing each other. He took a minute to gather his thoughts, and then began.

"I started to become famous around the time 'Black Holes and Revelations' came out. I gained a lot of attention around town and became one of the most popular kids in school. People wanted to be my friend or date me when they had never noticed me before. Since I was a bit of a quiet one before, I really liked all of this extra attention and I never realized they were just using me because of my fame. The relationships never lasted long, that is until I met Amber."

Ethan practically growled the name. His face looked dark and dangerous. "After I got tired of being with the popular crowd, I decided to start fresh and be with better people. I met Amber at the Teignmouth gig, of all places. She seemed nice, sweet, and different. She was a breath of fresh air after all of the rotten people I was with. We dated for about six months until she asked, no _demanded_ that I set her up with Matt."

My jaw dropped. "Are you serious?" I found myself whispering. Ethan nodded, looking sick. "Turned out she had this crazy obsession with Matt and wanted to be with him, so she decided to use me to get to him. After breaking up with her, I shut myself away from people because I became so paranoid that they were all using me, even if they were good people. I became anti-social and bitter. And just when things couldn't get any worse, Amber came back into my life in June of this year." He gulped before continuing. "That maniac sold a story to the tabloids saying that I got her pregnant!"

"What? That's terrible!" I gasped. How could someone do such a thing?

Ethan sighed, putting his head in his hands. "She gave me absolute hell, everyone except my family and a few close friends thought I was the father, even though I never slept with her, or anyone for that matter. I refused to do a paternity test once the child would be born or care for it, so I was labeled a 'scumbag' and other horrible things. Knowing that I had a small support system behind me was the only thing that kept me sane over the summer. How Amber managed to get pregnant in such a short time after we broke up is beyond me, although I would not be surprised if she was seeing someone on the side while we were dating. I decided that I need to move somewhere that my 'scandal' had not reached so I joined the exchange program and that's how I ended up here."

He looked at me with sincere eyes. "Again, I am sorry about hiding something from you. You are always so honest with me and I'm too much of a coward to share anything with you. No more surprises, just honesty."

I smiled and gently touched his cheek. "You need to trust me that I won't hurt you like those other girls. I truly care about you." I moved closer to kiss him softly. Ethan pulled me unto his lap.

"How did I manage to find someone as amazing as you?" he asked, running his hands through my hair.

"I could say the same thing."

Right as we were about to lean in again, my phone buzzed in my pocket. Groaning, I pulled it out and saw that it was Joanie calling.

"Let me talk to her", Ethan said, grinning. He opened it and said, "Your sister is not available right now as she is about to snog her bad British boyfriend." He shut off the phone and dropped it on the ground. Giggling, I wrapped my arms around him.


	10. Chemistry Lesson

November 19th, 2010

Jimmy-Jim-Jim,

Things got a bit _interesting_ during Anatomy today. During the dissection, we ran out of bone cutters (gross right?) and Mr. Caprelli decided to send me to the stockroom to get more. As I was searching for the box I needed, who else entered the room but Ethan? I was behind several shelves so he didn't see me as he walked in. I had to stifle giggles since he was wearing a lab coat and neon green goggles.

"Where is that potassium permanganate?", he muttered, reading the labels on several bottles. I quietly walked over and closed the door behind him.

"You look very sharp there _Dr. Bellamy_", I said slyly. Ethan jumped and almost dropped a jar of sulfuric acid.

"Geez Sam, you gave me a heart attack!" he gasped, clutching his chest.

I walked over to him. "Is that so? Well, it's a good thing I'm trained in mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Here, let me help you!" I leaned in to kiss Ethan, but he held a hand between us.

"I came here to find a bottle of potassium permanganate for my chemistry teacher."

I rolled my eyes and observed the shelves of chemicals. I quickly found the bottle of purple liquid and held it above my head. "Give me a kiss and I'll give you your bottle", I said, grinning. Ethan gave me a quick kiss and slipped the bottle in his hand. He smirked at me as he walked towards the door.

"Not so fast!" I said, grabbing him by the lab coat and pulling him close. "You look cute as a scientist!"

"I'm pretty good at chemistry."

"Oh really? What's the chemical formula for salt?"

Ethan snorted. "That's an easy one! NaCl, or sodium chloride."

"Correct", I whispered, kissing his cheek. "Do you want a harder one?" Ethan gulped and nodded.

"Hydrogen peroxide."

"H2O2", Ethan answered, stroking my cheek. I smiled and gave him a longer kiss.

"Sodium hydroxide?"

"Um, is it NaOH? Yes, it is!" He said excitedly as I rewarded him with another kiss.

"Phosphate ion?" I giggled. I really like this game.

"PO4", Ethan said proudly.

"What is the charge?" Ethan's eyes widened as he tried to remember. "Minus three?", he asked, not very confident in his answer.

I smirked at him and gave him a very long, deep kiss. Ethan moaned and almost dropped the bottle he was carrying. He stumbled a bit and sat on top of a large crate. We broke apart and I was surprised to see the both of us gasping.

"I think…that's enough…for now", I said shakily, finding the box of bone cutters and looking back at Ethan. If only I could have had a camera to take a picture of Ethan's face at that moment. It was priceless.

Next period during Psychology, Ethan handed me a note with a drawing of the periodic table and the words "I have a chemistry test coming up. How would you like to be my tutor?" I scribbled my response and passed it back to Ethan, grinning at his reaction.

_Meet me in the stockroom during lunch. Bring the lab coat._


	11. Gratitude

November 27th, 2010

Dear St. Jimmy Kane,

Thursday night

The holiday season is upon us again. The days are getting shorter and the air is turning colder. For Thanksgiving, Ethan and his host parents, Mr. and Mrs. Fields, joined us for dinner. Joanie was not very pleased to see Ethan walk into the house and announced she had a high profile lawsuit to work on before dinner.

"I take it she hasn't warmed up to me yet?" Ethan asked as we set the table.

"She simply can't stand anyone being happy besides her", I replied. "If me or Kevin did something good, Joanie would try and outdo us and get all of the attention. One thing she's never been able to do better than me is maintain a relationship longer than two weeks. Even I've had more dates than her, and she's the successful lawyer-to-be! She sees us and is super jealous."

"I don't suppose giving her an autographed copy of 'Absolution' will make her like me?"

"I doubt it. She'd probably toss it in the trash. If you're still offering, I can take that CD off your hands!"

Ethan grinned. "Just wait until Christmas!"

During dinner, all of us talked about the things we were grateful for this year. I mentioned my family, my friends, and the opportunities I've had. "Oh, and Ethan too", I added as an afterthought, winking at him.

Ethan was up next. "I'm thankful for the life that I have. It may be challenging at times, but it's worth it. I'm also thankful for the chance to study here in the States and be with my lovely host parents." The Fields were beaming. Ethan turned to me. "I am most grateful for you, Samantha. You changed my world in the most fantastic of ways. You….electrify my life." He leaned over and kissed me on the cheek.

My mom and Mrs. Fields were gushing about how cute we looked together, Joanie looked disgusted, and Kevin mumbled "Get a room". And me? I had to restrain myself from not jumping on Ethan the entire night. It didn't help that he shot flirty glances at me or rubbed my leg during dinner.

I finally got my chance with Ethan after dessert. Both of us offered to load the dirty dishes in the dishwasher while the rest of them got ready to watch a football game, giving us essential alone time. I gathered the last of the silverware and walked into the kitchen. Ethan had his back to me as he loaded the dishwasher. I quickly strode over and wrapped my arms around him. He chuckled and spun around.

"Did you like my speech?"

" 'You electrify my life' huh? Gee, I wonder where I've heard that line before. Maybe your brother?"

"Sorry, I wasn't being creative enough. How about this?" He took a hold of my hands and stared into my eyes. "My beating heart belongs to you."

I struggled not to swoon at the sound of his voice. "Nice try", I said, "But I know that line. 'Last Night on Earth' is a beautiful song."

Ethan smiled. "Okay, last try and I'm and now I'm serious." His expression turned very soft. "There are no words to describe how I feel about you. From day one you have filled my life with pure bliss. My heart practically stops whenever you enter the room. I'm so lucky to have you in my life. I lo-"

Kevin suddenly burst into the kitchen and began to noisily rummage through the pantry. "You just had three huge plates of food and you're still hungry?" I asked, extremely annoyed.

"I'm a growing boy! I need the nourishment." Kevin said, pulling out a bag of marshmallows and a tube of Pringles. "Mom said she will finish the dishes later. Come watch the game."

"Ethan and I were in the middle of something", I grumbled to myself as we followed Kevin out of the kitchen. That kid always comes around at the worst time! Before we reached the living room, Ethan grabbed my wrist and pulled me to him.

"I love you", he whispered. My eyes grew large and a smile was plastered on my face. Before I could respond, my father called for us in the living room.

If you asked me what teams were playing and what the final score was, I would not be able to answer. My mind was in a faraway place, a place where Ethan repeated those three words. _I love you._

As the game ended and Ethan was about to leave, I managed to pull him to the side and give him a great big kiss. "I love you too", I sighed. "I've been waiting the past three hours to tell you that."

Ethan chuckled. "Was the game really that boring?"

I rolled my eyes and walked with him to the car. "Don't forget that we're meeting at three AM in front of the mall tomorrow."

Ethan groaned. "Do I really have to go Black Friday shopping with you? I need a proper night's rest."

"Don't be so dramatic", I sighed, "The whole point of Black Friday is to wake up super early and get the best deals on great items. It's fun!"

"Women and their shopping!" Ethan muttered, sitting in the car.

"If you do this for me", I added, "You might get something special from me." I kissed his cheek and ruffled his hair before closing the car door. Ethan slid the window down.

"It better not be that pair of leopard print skinny jeans you showed me the other day."

Friday morning

Tired but excited, I headed over to Charlesburg Mall with my mom. The parking lot was so packed, we had to park at the Cinemark across the street. We met Ethan and Mrs. Fields in front of their car. Ethan looked exhausted leaning against the car with his eyes closed and wearing a Radiohead (lol) hoodie.

"Good morning!" I said happily. No response.

"Ah, the silent treatment huh? Come on, you can't be that upset with me!" Nothing. Now I was getting annoyed.

"You know, you could have stayed in bed if you were so desperate for some beauty rest Bellamy!" I said, anger creeping in my voice. Still nothing!

"Earth to Ethan!" I shouted, grabbing his shoulders. Ethan's eyes popped open and he pulled down his hood, revealing two headphones is his ears. He took them off and I could hear 'Stop Drop and Roll' playing.

"Hey", he said tiredly. I looked at his face. "Did you hear what I just said?" I asked.

Ethan shook his head. "Sorry, I got bored waiting so I decided to listen to some music." He took out his iPhone and wiggled it. "You can tell me again."

"Never mind", I said, giving him a hug. Amused, Ethan hugged me back and began warming my arms.

"What's the plan this morning chief?"

"Well, we are going to do a divide-and-conquer technique. At each store we visit, we will have a specific item to find. Once we've gotten all of the items, we'll meet up at the cashier. Sound good?"

Ethan eyed the crowd of waiting shoppers. "If I don't make it out of here alive, I want you to have my guitars."

Soon, the stores opened and the crowds rushed inside. The four of us strode over to Best Buy.

"Sam, you go find the Kinect for Kevin", my mother ordered, "Ethan, you need to find that automated fishing pole for Mr. Fields." She pushed the both us forward.

"Good luck babe", I giggled as I headed over to the video game section. The area was filled with parents scrambling to buy their children the newest console, which happened to be what I needed to find as well.

"Okay Sam", I muttered to myself, flexing my fingers. "Don't let these soccer moms get to you." I saw a pyramid of Kinect consoles on a far wall, and it was shrinking fast. I quickly walked over and just when I was about to grab one of the last boxes, I was knocked to the ground. As I fell, I grabbed one of the boxes from the pile and pulled it close to my chest. I hit the ground and rolled to a stack of video games.

I looked at what had knocked me over and started laughing. Two moms were fighting over a Wii package.

".!", one of them shrieked, grabbing the other's hair. The two of them clawed at each other while their husbands tried to pull them apart. Two mall cops ran over and pinned the struggling women to the ground.

"Okay!", one of them shouted, "Nothing to see here!" Disappointed at the sudden end to their mid-shopping entertainment, the crowd groaned and resumed their business. Chuckling, I stood up and began walking towards the registers. The rest of the group was already in line by the time I found them. Ethan looked proud as he held up the fishing pole.

"I found this a minute after walking into the store!" he declared. He looked me over. "What happened to you?"

I smoothed my hair down, not realizing it was messy. "I got caught in the middle of a mom-fight", I answered. I noticed that the shopping cart was covered with my mom's coat.

"What's in there?" I asked, trying to peek inside. My mom slapped my hand and told us to wait in front of the store. Ethan and I moved against the flood of people still entering the store.

"If you thought this was bad", I sighed, watching the other stores become crowded, "We still have five more stores to endure."

"Bloody perfect!" Ethan laughed, wrapping his arms around me. "You know, you never told me what you wanted for Christmas."

I shrugged. "Anything is fine with me. I'm never specific about what I want as a gift."

Ethan sighed. "If I learned anything about women, it's that they say they don't have anything specific in mind when they _do_ want something specific!"

"You need to take more lessons on women because that is not true in my case." A familiar riff started playing behind us.

_I'm the son of rage and love!_

We turned around and there was a big display for 'Rock Band: Green Day' set up. Two men were standing in front of a widescreen TV playing 'Jesus of Suburbia' on drums and guitar. My jaw dropped in awe.

"I didn't know the game was already released!" I exclaimed, walking over to watch the pair play.

"It's been released for about a month now", Ethan replied.

I picked up one of the copies and looked it over. All of the songs from 'Dookie' and 'American Idiot' were on it and it included rare band footage. All for $20!

"I'm buying this!" I declared. Before we could get in a line, my mom called us over from the entrance.

"Mom, can I please buy this really quick?" I asked nicely, "We'll meet up with you guys right after!"

Mom shook her head. "Sorry sweetie, we have to head over to more stores and I need all the help I can get. We can come back here when we're done."

"But Mom, all of these will be gone by the time we're finished. Let me get this now!"

"I already said no!"

"Look at all of these songs!"

"Samantha Leeds!", she said in her I'm-not-playing-around voice, "Come over here before I embarrass you in front of your boyfriend and the entire mall!" Shoulders slumped, I reluctantly put the game back and followed everyone out of the store.

"Don't worry", Ethan said reassuringly, "I'm sure you'll get a copy."

The rest of the morning, all I could think about was that video game. Kevin is usually the one who is obsessed with gaming, but I really wanted this one. After we finally got all of the items on our lists, we were allowed one hour to do as we pleased. I quickly ran to Best Buy, not even waiting to Ethan to catch up. Once I entered the store, my heart dropped when I saw the display completely empty.

"But, but how?" I gasped. I walked over to a store attendant. "Excuse me? Do you have any more copies of Rock Band: Green Day?"

"The last copy was sold about an hour ago", he replied.

"Okay. How soon will you get more copies?"

"I'm not sure. There's already a big waiting list for that game. If you want, you can put your name down on the list, although you might not get it before the holidays."

I shook my head. "That's alright. Thanks anyways."

Ethan caught up with me as I left the store. He saw the sad expression on my face. "No luck huh?" he asked, putting his arm around me.

"They're sold out. Man, I _really_ wanted to sing 'Longview'!"

Ethan smiled at me. "You wanted to sing a song about masturbation and smoking pot?"

"Yes! That song is a classic!"

"You are quite the fan. Maybe you'll get the game as a Christmas present."

"I don't think so", I sighed, "One of the employees told me there's a huge waiting list for that game. I guess I'll have to wait until next year to buy it." I saw that Ethan was already carrying a big shopping bag. "What do you have in there?"

Ethan put the bag behind his back. "Just a special gift for someone special", he replied sneakily.

"Come on! You can't just tell me that! Now I really want to know!" I tried moving behind him, but Ethan was faster than me. He quickly tied up the bag in a tight knot and threw it over his shoulder. "Oh look, Starbucks is open!" he said, bringing me into the coffee shop.

I bought myself a vanilla bean Frappuccino while Ethan drank a banana shake (once a Bellamy, always a Bellamy). Ethan ignored my eager glances towards the shopping bag.

"So what do _you_ want for Christmas?" I asked.

Ethan leaned back in his chair. "I'm not sure. I'm not much of a gift person."

"Come on. There has to be _something_ I can give you! What do you really really REALLY want?"

Ethan laughed. "I have everything I want right in front of me", he replied, giving me a kiss.

"Aww, aren't you sweet?


	12. Won tons and Webcams

November 29th, 2010

Dear Jimmy,

Due to today being the first day of deer hunting season, we didn't have any school today. That's Pennsylvania life for you. Ethan surprised me early in the afternoon.

"You look exhausted", I giggled, observing the dark circles under his eyes.

"I love being woken up early in the morning by shotguns blasting near my house", he replied sarcastically. "Would you like to go out for some lunch?"

"Sure!" I thought for a second. "Hey, can we bring Kevin along?" I whispered, "He's been home all weekend and I'd like for him to get out."

"That's fine with me." We walked into the living room. Kevin was quietly reading a skateboard catalog.

"Hey Kevin!" I said in a sing-song voice. He looked up curiously.

"Ethan is going to take us out to lunch!" I said, "Get ready so we can eat."

"Do I have to go?" he whined, "I'm just going to be stuck as the third wheel." He went back to reading his magazine. Ethan and I looked worriedly at each other.

"We promise we won't act so lovey-dovey around you", Ethan said, "I'll tell you what. You can choose where we eat."

Kevin looked up again. "Anywhere?'

_Oh boy._

Twenty minutes later, we were walking into the Lotus Star Buffet. Kevin has an obsession with Chinese food. If given the choice, he would eat it for the rest of his life. Our family has been going to this restaurant ever since we were kids. The owners even know us by name.

"Kevin! Samantha!" the hostess greeted us as we entered. She looked at Ethan. "Is this your boyfriend? He is very cute!" She pinched one of his cheeks.

"Hi", Ethan said nervously, "I'm Sam's boyfriend, Ethan."

"Oh, how wonderful!" she squealed. "Sam has always been a very shy girl. I never thought she would find a –."

"Can we please get a table for three?" I interrupted. Ethan was grinning at me as we sat down.

"Aw, was little Sam shy before we met?" he teased.

"Can it Bellamy!" I laughed, throwing bits of fortune cookie at him. Ethan dodged the treats and grabbed my wrists.

"You'll pay for that!" he said, moving in for a kiss.

"Ugh! You guys promised you wouldn't do that!" We looked up and saw Kevin grossed out at the sight of us.

"Sorry" Ethan said, sliding away from me. "We'll behave now."

After ordering our drinks, we went up to grab some food. "Do you think you can see what's bugging Kevin?" I asked Ethan, watching Kevin pour egg drop soup into a bowl. "There's definitely something else bothering him besides our PDA."

Ethan nodded and walked up to Kevin. The two began talking quietly so I pretended to be interested in the sushi bar while I waited for them to finish.

"I never knew you were a sushi person", someone said next to me. I turned and smiled. It was Lucy, a friend from school who also works at the buffet as a waitress.

"I'm not. I'm just giving Ethan and Kevin some privacy to talk." We both looked over and saw the two of them sitting down and still talking.

"Maybe he's got girl troubles", Lucy said, "Usually happens around that age." I couldn't imagine Kevin, such a happy guy with barely a care in the world, having girl problems. Well, he is growing up.

"Remember when Kevin was two and he pulled on your pigtails, so you chased him around with a pair of chopsticks?"

Lucy giggled. "Good times! So, how are things going with Ethan?"

"I'd say they're going pretty well. He came over for Thanksgiving and he said he loved me for the first time."

"That's wonderful! Perfect for the holiday season as well. I imagine the two of you will be doing plenty of kissing underneath the mistletoe on Christmas."

I winked at Lucy. "We don't need mistletoe as an excuse to make out!" The two of us collapsed in giggles. It looked like Ethan and Kevin had finished talking so I said goodbye and sat down at the table. Even though they never told me what the problem was, I could tell that Kevin's spirits were lifted and he was in a much better mood the rest of the day. He didn't even get upset when Ethan and I fed each other pieces of fortune cookie.

When we got back to my house, Ethan had another surprise for me. "Someone really wants to see you", he said, bringing in his laptop from the car and turning it on. I saw that he had a Skype video call request waiting for him. MattB.

I smiled. "Is that really him?" I asked. Ethan nodded and placed the computer on my lap. The camera turned on and I saw Matt's smiling face.

"Hey there!" Matt said happily. I saw that he was growing a beard, or at least attempting to grow one.

"Nice peach fuzz", Ethan taunted his brother. Matt rolled his eyes. "Sorry if I'm not a beard-growing beast like Chris", he muttered. I heard Chris laugh loudly in the background.

"What have you been up to?" I asked, happy to know that the guys were doing well.

Matt shrugged. "We're back in England for a bit. Relaxing for the holidays, seeing family, recording some songs."

"What?" Ethan and I said loudly. They were making a new album so soon?

"Got you!" Matt laughed. "We're still not done with touring. We have plenty of performances left before we go back to the studio."

"Don't take too long though", I said, "Your fans are dying for some new music!"

Matt smiled. "We always look out for our fans." Dom came into view. "Sam! Ethan!" he said, grinning widely.

"How's my favorite drummer?" I asked.

"You're too sweet Sam! I'm doing well. Ethan! I can't wait to see you during Christmas!"

Ethan looked confused. "Matt, I thought I was staying here for the holidays." Matt looked uncomfortable. "Well, the family wants you here for Christmas and they told me to get the ticket for you. You can stay over there for Easter."

"Spring break is only a four day weekend. I wanted to spend the two weeks with Sam."

"Hey", I said softly, "You should go. You haven't seen your family in such a long time. I know you miss them." Ethan nodded sadly.

"You're right", he said, "Although it won't be the same without you."

"I did some negotiating and I was able to get you back to the States right before New Year's" Matt said, "That way you guys can be with each other at midnight."

"Such a romantic!" Dom laughed from behind Matt. Matt smiled and punched Dom. "Just helping my brother's relationship. Our presents are on their way to you guys so expect a package in your mailboxes soon."

"Thanks guys!" we said. We continued talking to them until the guys had to leave for a meeting with their lawyers.

"Matt decided to eat some magic mushrooms at a hotel in London last night", Chris sighed, "It was like recording 'Plug in Baby' all over again."

"Speaking of that song", I asked, "What do the lyrics mean?"

"Oops!" Matt said, typing fast on his computer, "You're breaking up! We'll talk later, bye!" The camera shut off.

Ethan laughed. "Not even the worst torture possible could make Matt reveal what 'Plug in Baby' means."


	13. Box box box

December 3rd, 2010

Dear Jimmy,

I'm not sure if I ever mentioned it before, but I HATE the cold! When I woke up this morning, everything outside was covered in a thin layer of ice and it was brutal having to walk out and turn on the car in order for it to heat up. I bundled myself in as many layers as possible and went to school. Ethan was equally covered up when I met him at his locker.

"G-Good morning", Ethan shuddered as he leaned in to kiss me. His lips felt cold to the touch.

"You have icicle lips", I teased. Ethan pouted, then smirked.

"Jerk", he said, kissing me again quickly. I yelped and jumped back. "That's really cold!"

"Don't you want to kiss me?" Ethan said, pretending to look sad. I bit my lip. I really wanted to, but he was so cold! Before I could answer, the warning bell for homeroom rang and we parted ways.

During lunch, Ethan was texting rapidly on his phone with a huge smile on his face. He noticed my curious expression and faced me.

"Matt told me that our Christmas presents have arrived", he said excitedly. "He just told me what he got you."

My eyes widened. "Give me that phone!" I said, trying to grab the cell phone from him. Ethan snickered and dropped it in his backpack.

"Sorry, you'll just have to wait until you get home."

After school I hurriedly drove back to the house. There were three huge boxes on the doorstep. Squealing with excitement, I ran over, almost slipped on some ice, and brought the packages inside. I practically attacked the boxes with a knife as I tore them open.

"Geez, you don't have to murder them!" Kevin said as he watched me work. I ignored him as I finally got them opened.

The first box was from Dom. I almost laughed out loud at the ridiculous amount of clothes, accessories, and faff bag products he managed to fit in it. He does have great taste though. I admired some of the shirts and colored skinnies he got me before setting the box aside.

Next was Chris's box. He had gotten me some accessories for my bass and his children made little presents and cards for me. There was even a cute tin container full of cookies from Kelly! I held up a picture of their family Christmas card and giggled at how cute the Wolstie clan looked.

Finally it was Matt's box. He had given me a bunch of CDs and clothes, along with some interesting souvenirs from places the band toured over the year. On top of the pile was an envelope. It had the words 'Manson Guitars' written across it. I eagerly opened it up and gasped at the note inside.

'Sorry about not having this done sooner. I tend to procrastinate. Hugh said this should be finished by the end of the month so you will have a new guitar in the new year. Happy Holidays! –Matt'

My mouth dropped to the ground as I saw the beautiful guitar design Matt created. It looked just like his black MIDI, although there were red metallic swirls on the body and up the neck. I was going to have my own Manson guitar!

My phone rang in my pocket. Still looking at the picture, I answered. "Hello?"

"So I'm guessing you opened your gifts?" Ethan said happily.

"Your brother is amazing!" I said.

"Good gift-giving runs in the family", Ethan replied. "Just wait until you see mine!"

"Can you give me a hint?"

"Umm, nope!" He hung up on me!

"Ethan you wanker!"


	14. Gifts and Surprises

December 4th, 2010

Jimmy,

Ponder, ponder. Oh bother!

Today has been one of the most confusing days I've had in a while. First, I struggled to figure out what to get Ethan for Christmas. I'm terrible at gift-giving, even though I do know what Ethan does and does not like. I mean, what do you get the brother of a world-famous rock star? He's obviously gotten great presents and I didn't want to disappoint. I went to the mall with a reluctant Kevin and we spent the afternoon trying to find the ideal gift. Well, I was making the effort. Kevin looked he wanted nothing more than to go back to his Xbox.

"Kevin, can you _please_ stop reading that magazine and help me choose between these three t-shirts?" I sighed. Kevin shot me a dirty glance and put down the surfing magazine he was looking at. He observed the band shirts I had selected: Biffy Clyro, The Killers, and Franz Ferdinand.

"Doesn't Ethan have enough of those?" Kevin asked. He was right. Ethan almost never wore a t-shirt without some sort of band logo on it. I groaned and put the shirts back on the rack.

"What am I going to do?" I asked helplessly.

"You know, guys don't really care about what their girlfriends get them" Kevin said. "We're not that materialistic. It's more of the thought that counts. I bet you could give him a CD of you playing your instruments horribly and he would love it."

I laughed at the thought. Suddenly, I thought of a brilliant idea. "You're a genius!" I declared. I began walking to the exit.

"Come on!" I called back to Kevin. "Let's go to one more store and then we can head-." I stopped in my tracks as I spotted two very familiar people walking out of a jewelry store.

Ethan? Nicole?


	15. Espionage

I was glued to where I was standing when I saw Ethan and Nicole walking together. _Don't panic, _I calmly told myself. _They're not doing anything wrong. They're friends as well._

But _what _were they doing_?_

Ethan was walking fast and looking around everywhere while occasionally moving a hand through his jet black hair, something I've realized he does when he's nervous. Nicole was trying to keep up with Ethan, a very annoyed look on his face. As the pair moved out of sight, I motioned to Kevin to follow me and we left the store. We observed the two of them as they walked past various stores, Ethan sometimes pointing out items in the windows, although we were too far to hear what he was saying. Nicole kept on shaking her head and they continued walking, with us close behind.

Ethan and Nicole stopped in front of a store that sells paintings. I hid behind a soda machine while Kevin crouched in between some potted plants. Ethan was looking at a painting with the shadows of people on it.

"Maybe she'll like this?" Ethan suggested. He picked up the painting. The store owner looked excited since not many people stop by the store. "It looks like the Absolution cover art, don't you think?" He turned the painting towards Nicole.

Nicole gave him a puzzled look. "You know I'm not one of those Muse fans, whatever they're called", Nicole replied in a bored tone.

Ethan rolled his eyes and put the painting down. The store owner looked like he was about to cry.

"They're called Musers", Ethan chuckled. He continued looking around the shop, admiring the art.

"Sam told me last night you already got her something", Nicole grumbled. "So why did you make me come along to help you find a gift for her?"

Ethan blushed and stared at the ground. "I lied to her about having her gift already", he admitted. "I guess I was a bit jealous that Matt and the guys got her such amazing gifts and I still had no idea what to get her. Matt is usually the one who either buys the gift for me or tells me exactly what to buy. Since Matt's not here, I figured you could help me."

Nicole's expression softened. "No wonder Sam is crazy about you", she said. "But you should know that no one knows Sam better than you do, and you've been here for only a few months. It's like you guys have some sort of connection."

"It's called 'Muser mutualism'" Ethan said before breaking out into giggles similar to Matt's. Even though Nicole rolled her eyes, she gave a little chuckle. I smiled at the sight of Ethan and all the things he said. Then I felt guilty about being suspicious and spying on him. I caught Kevin's attention and we left Ethan and Nicole behind.

About thirty minutes and four more stores later (Kevin was upset that I lied to him about leaving right away), we were walking back to the car when a familiar car pulls up next to us. The passenger window rolled down and I saw Ethan and Nicole's smiling faces. 'Muscle Museum' was playing on the car stereo.

"Hey babe" Ethan said. "Buy me anything nice?"

I help up the shopping bags in my hands. "Just got your Christmas gifts!" I said, pretending to be surprised.

Nicole smiled and pointed to the backseat. "Ethan got your presents today too!" I spotted several bags in the back.

"Ooh, I can't wait to open them!" I replied. "Do you think I can have one early?"

Ethan thought about this. "If you can get to your house before we do, you can have one present."

Kevin and Nicole looked worried as I shouted "Bring it on Bellamy!"

Ethan needs to learn to make better challenges. Being Charlesburg native, I know all kinds of short-cuts and backroads. Guess who has a shiny new copy of Green Day: Rock Band? This Idiot Muser right here!


	16. Mistletoe Kisses

December 23rd, 2010

Dearest Jimmy,

Sorry I haven't written in so long, not that much has happened anyways until now. Today was the last day of school before Christmas Break, and also the day that Ethan was flying out to London. Lessons were put on hold since no one, not even the teachers, were focused on schoolwork. Last night I bought a big box of candy canes and gave them out to everyone I saw, even some freshmen that I've never seen before. I really get into the holiday spirit. During lunch, our table handed each other cards while snacking on leftover candy canes.

"You really like glitter huh Nicole?" I said as a sparkly pile landed on Ethan's lap when he opened his card. I giggled and tried to brush some off for him.

"Hey, hands where I can see them!" Alex taunted. I blushed and held up my hands, which were now glittery. The table roared in laughter.

"Caught sparkly-handed!" laughed Nicole. Ethan grinned and brushed the rest of the sparkles from him.

"Sam can wipe glitter off of me anytime!"

Since Ethan had to leave for the airport as soon as he got home, our last chance to be together until New Year's was in the school parking lot. We walked up to our cars and Ethan pressed a button on his key ring, popping open the trunk. Inside was a large box wrapped in red paper with a silver bow. I unlocked my car and took out a slightly smaller box wrapped in blue and gold paper. We grinned at each other as we exchanged presents.

"So, no opening until the 25th correct?" Ethan asked.

I nodded. "Right. We'll Skype each other so we can open presents together. I can't wait to see your reaction when you see what I got you!"

"I hope you'll like what I got you", Ethan said shyly. Memories from the mall incident came back in my head. Ethan really wanted to please me.

"I know I'll _love_ it", I said, giving Ethan a reassuring hug. He grinned and placed his gift in the trunk.

"There's one more thing we have to do before I go", Ethan said, reaching into his back pocket and pulling out his wallet. He searched around for a second before taking out a tiny plastic plant and holding it above his head.

Mistletoe.

Smiling wide, I put my present down and walked into Ethan's waiting arms. Ethan pulled me close and we shared a sweet, tender kiss. I was about to step back when Ethan tightened his grip on me and pulled my mouth back on his.

"Wasn't done yet" he mumbled against my mouth. I giggled and continued kissing him, twisting my fingers in his dark hair. Ethan slowly pressed me up against the cool metal of the car and stroked my face softly, sending shivers down my spine. We broke apart and I stared into those amazing Bellamy blue eyes. How in the world did I get so lucky?

"Christmas is going to be so lonely without you", Ethan sighed sadly.

"I know" I replied. "There's nowhere else I'd rather be than with you. At least it's only for a week."

"One very LONG week", Ethan laughed. I joined in. I looked over Ethan's shoulder and saw that the parking lot was beginning to empty.

"You better leave before you get stuck in traffic" I sighed. Ethan nodded and gave me a quick kiss before stepping into his car. I stepped back as he backed out of the parking spot. He lowered the window and gave me a small smile. Not being able to resist that face, I walked over, put his face between my hands, and gave him another long kiss. Ethan had the biggest grin plastered on his face afterwards.

"Merry Christmas Ethan."

"Merry Christmas Sam."


	17. Baby it's cold outside!

December 25th, 2010

MERRY CHRISTMAS JIMMY!

It's the most wonderful time of the yeaaar! Okay, enough with the singing. It's Christmas! My parents burst into my room at five in the morning singing Christmas carols while Dad was ringing a bell. It's a Leeds family tradition that I wish would finally die with the other ones. We all gathered around the tree and exchanged presents. My parents had gotten me an amazing digital camera that came with a tripod and other accessories that I can use to take great shots. Kevin was ecstatic that he got the Kinect and immediately went over to the TV to set up the system. Despite our past argument about Ethan, Joanie got me a new amp that I desperately needed.

Around ten while everyone was enjoying their gifts, I turned on my computer and was pleased to see Ethan was online. I picked up his gift that was next to my desk and sent him a 'Video Call Request'. A few seconds later, Ethan's excited face appeared on the screen.

"Merry Christmas babe!" he said. I noticed several children with toys running behind him.

"Are you at Chris's house?" I asked. Ethan nodded and he tilted the camera slightly to show he was carrying the newest addition to the Wolstenholme clan, Buster, who was napping. Barely over a month old and he was absolutely chubby!

"He's adorable!" I said, perhaps a little too loudly because Buster stirred and grumbled a little. A pair of feminine hands, which I assume were Kelly's, came into view and Ethan handed the baby over. Ethan leaned over and picked up his present.

"Who's going to go first?" he asked.

I thought for a minute. "How about we do it at the same time?" I suggested. Ethan nodded in approval.

"On three. One.."

"Two.."

"Three!" We ripped apart the wrapping paper as fast as we could. I struggled to take the tape off the box so I grabbed my key to slice through it. I opened up the flaps the same time Ethan opened his box and we both gasped.

Turns out we both thought of the idea of getting multiple gifts and putting them together in a Christmas basket. I gently lifted my basket from the box and looked at the various items: several bottles of perfumes, a big box of chocolate, band shirts, CDs and books, and a smaller wrapped box. I unwrapped this box, opened it, and my jaw dropped. Inside was a necklace with the pendant shaped like a red guitar pick and my name engraved in black like the Muse logo.

"Ethan", I said, trying to gather my thoughts. "This is amazing!" Ethan smiled.

"There should be another box in the basket like that has more of those picks in different colors", Ethan said happily. "Although you can't play with the one on the necklace. It's made from ruby and it probably won't sound too nice strumming a guitar." I found the box in question and found picks in every color of the rainbow.

"You are amazing", I sighed, putting on the necklace and showing Ethan.

"You look beautiful" Ethan said. He looked at his basket. "You're also an amazing gift giver."

Ethan began pulling out the different gifts in his basket including a hoodie I saw him admiring the last time we went to the mall together, music posters, this really nice cologne, red Converse, a bag of chocolate pretzels (we're both sweet tooths), and CD of the recording of the Newark gig we went to together.

"I can't wait to listen to this", Ethan said, admiring the CD.

"Plug in Baby and Citizen Erased sound amazing!" I replied. We continued chatting for a few minutes before both of us were called to join in our separate holiday activities.

"Merry Christmas Ethan."

"Merry Christmas love."


	18. Interlude

Ethan's POV

After I finish talking to Sam, I continue to browse through the website I was looking at before our conversation. There are just too many options, each choice more appealing than the next. I want the perfect one. _Come on Ethan you can do this._ I wish I could simply ask Matt for some help, but I'm afraid about what he will think. He's always been open-minded about what I do, but I'm not sure he would agree to this.

Speaking of Matt, he walks into the room dipping a cookie in a glass of milk. "I thought those were for Santa", I joke, eating one of my chocolate pretzels. Matt laughs and pops the rest of the cookie in his mouth.

"These were from the cookie jar in the kitchen" Matt explains with a full mouth. He swallows his food and looks over at my basket. "That from Sam?" I nod. Matt chuckles and ruffles my hair.

"You really are lucky, you know that?"

"Of course I do! She's the most amazing person I have ever met. I love her."

Matt awws and ruffles my hair again. "I'm glad my baby brother finally found someone. I thought you were going to be a Forever Alone or something."

I blush. "Whatever." I go back to my computer searching. Curious, Matt walks behind me to see what I'm up to. I minimize the window before he can see the screen.

"What are you up to?" Matt asks, quickly shooting out his arm to push me out of my seat and opening the window. I nervously watch his reaction. It goes from stunned to understanding. A small smile appears on his face.

"You're serious about this?" he asks.

"Completely."

Matt sits back in the chair. "Looks like my baby brother is not so baby-like anymore", he said. Relief rushes through me.

"Do you think you can give me a little help with this? I don't want to screw up."

Matt looks touched. "Of course Ethan", he replies. "But first, we need to be nice guests and play with the Chris and Kelly's kids. I know Ava Jo is dying to give us a performance on her new karaoke machine." I smile and we both walk out of the room together.


	19. Things that go bump in the night

December 30th/31st , 2010

Dear Mr. Jimmy Kane

Without Ethan to keep me company, the days between Christmas and his return were long and not exciting. Most of the time I was just improving on my Rock Band skills with Kevin, playing countless Green Day songs. Every afternoon me and Ethan would Skype for a bit, both of us missing each other terribly. I also talked to the Muse guys and they were also doing well, relaxing with loved ones before touring with U2 in a few months.

I was anxious tonight because I knew Ethan was flying somewhere over the Atlantic and would land sometime around midnight. The Fields had a family emergency to attend to in Maryland and they would not be back until after New Year's, meaning that their neighbor was the one picking up Ethan at the airport. Wanting to stay up until I heard any news from him, I began to watch random videos on YouTube. When that got boring, I went to the Muse message boards. When even that got boring, I decided to go to bed and wait to talk to Ethan in the morning.

My dreams were interrupted by a faint tapping noise. Thinking I was still asleep, I buried myself deeper in my blanket and closed my eyes. The noise started up again, this time even louder. I opened one eye and looked over at my clock. 3 AM. Groaning, I put a pillow over my head and tried to fall asleep. The noise became even louder and did not stop. I sat up in bed and looked around in the dark for the source of the noise. It seemed to be coming from outside…..

I slid out of bed and walked over to my window where the sound seemed to be coming from. I pulled back the curtains and jumped back in surprise. The source of the noise did the same thing.

Ethan?

Sure enough, there was Ethan, shivering in the cold and standing in a snowy bush right outside my bedroom window. He looked pale in the moonlight and his hair was black like ink, and also shorter. He gave me a tiny wave. I smiled and opened the window, leaning out to give him a kiss.

"I probably should have waited until the morning, but I really wanted to see you", he whispered.

"You're so sweet", I sighed, looking at the face I missed so much this past week. I listened for any noise coming from the rest of the house. Nothing.

"Come inside", I said, tugging on his arms. Ethan looked unsure.

"What if we wake someone up?" he asked nervously.

"We'll be quiet", I said, giving him a quick wink. Ethan smiled and climbed through the window. I quickly shut it and turned around. Ethan wrapped his arms around me and slowly kissed me. My hand brushed against his arm and I noticed it was covered in goose bumps. I broke off our kiss.

"You're freezing" I said, sitting with him on my bed and wrapping the blanket around the both of us. Ethan smiled and nuzzled his face against my neck, planting soft kisses on me.

"I had to park the car three blocks away in that abandoned lot so no one would recognize me", Ethan said.

"You sound like you have a lot of experience with sneaking into bedrooms", I joked. Ethan stopped kissing me and looked worried.

"It was only a joke!" I reassured him. "That's a good idea though. I don't want my parents finding your car right in front of the house when they go to work in the morning."

Ethan grinned. "Does that mean I get to spend the night here?"

I smiled at his eager look. "Of course! We can have a slumber party and paint our nails while gossiping about boys in school. Doesn't that sound like fun?"

"As tempting as that sounds, I'd rather do something else" Ethan said before kissing me again. We made ourselves more comfortable and I was lying down while Ethan was next to me lying on his side. I ran a hand through his hair. "Haircut?"

Ethan nodded. "It was getting longer than I'm used to having it, so I figured it was time for a cut. I also got rid of the black. I'm back to brown now."

"You mean you _dyed _your hair black?" I asked in fake horror. Ethan chuckled.

"Everyone seemed to like it so I had it like that for about two years. I got tired of always re-dyeing my hair so I'm going to stick to brown. Do you like it?"

"I love it", I sighed, kissing him again. Ethan wrapped an arm around me, his hand brushing up against my side. I held back a giggle. Ethan chuckled and touched my side again. I squirmed underneath him.

"Stop it", I laughed. Ethan began to full on tickle me. We were both laughing and trying to tickle each other when someone sneezed in the other room. We stayed frozen for about a minute, listening carefully for any movement. When nothing happened, we looked at each other and smiled.

"I guess we'll have to wait until the morning", Ethan said, resting his head next to mine on the pillow. I felt my eyelids begin to close on their own.

"Aren't you tired?" I asked, holding back a yawn. Ethan nodded sleepily.

"I've been in a plane all day. I'm exhausted." I rested my head on his shoulder while he wrapped both arms around me.

"I'm about to pass out any second", I said. Ethan smiled. "Then go back to sleep. I'll still be here in the morning." He began humming a random tune while I drifted back to dream-land.

Hours later I slowly opened my eyes. Ethan was snoring softly while still holding me. His hair was sticking up in random places and his mouth was slightly opened. I laughed softly and Ethan opened his eyes.

"Good morning", he muttered, kissing me on the forehead. He stretched a little in the bed. "I am never falling asleep in skinny jeans again."

"Wait, you're wearing skinnies?" I asked, lifting up the blanket. Ethan was wearing an impressive pair of black skinny jeans.

"Dom convinced me to buy them", Ethan explained. "He told me you would like them."

_Thank God for Dom!_ "Well, he's right!" I said, leaning in for a kiss. Ethan smiled against my mouth and pulled me closer…

At that moment, there was a knock on my door. "Samantha?" my mom called. Ethan and I broke apart and stared at each other in horror.

"Closet. NOW!" I hissed. We scrambled out of bed and Ethan stepped into the closet, closing the doors behind him.

"Coming Mom!" I called out, quickly checking my face in the mirror. I regained my composure and opened the bedroom door. My mom smiled when she saw me.

"Your father and I are going to work now but I wanted to tell you that Mrs. Fields sent me a voicemail saying that Ethan got back safely."

"That's great!" I said, trying not to look at the closet. "I'll visit him later. Can he come to the Gabrielio's party with us tonight?"

"Of course he can come; it's New Year's Eve!" She looked at her watch. "We'll be back a little later than usual because we have to pick up Kevin from his friend's house. Don't visit Ethan too early. He needs his rest."

_He wasn't too tired to visit me this morning_. "Will do Mom. Have a good day!" I closed the door and waited until I heard the car leave the driveway. Then, I walked over to the closet and threw open the doors. Ethan was standing there, looking visibly shaken.

"Is it safe to come out now?" he asked.

"That was really close", I said, hugging him. "But did you hear that? We have the entire house to ourselves all day!"

"Hmm, so what do you want to do?"

"I have a few ideas."

Twenty minutes later, me and Ethan were in the living room, 'Burnout' blaring on the TV.

"My solo is about to start!" I said as I hit the drumsticks against the drum pad, Ethan on playing the bass with his controller. The flurry of colored notes appeared on the screen and I hit the drum pad, following the pattern. 40 %, 75 %….

"Yes, 100 %!" I said as the solo finished. We played through the rest of the song, me dropping the drumsticks on the ground when we were finished.

" It's taken me forever to get that solo just right on 'Expert'!" I said, reading the score on the screen. "Only four stars? We should have gotten a five."

"You did mess up a little at the beginning", Ethan chuckled, scrolling through the song list.

"Excuse me Mr. I-only-play-on-Hard, I didn't realize we started yet!"

"Keep telling yourself that Sam. Also, I do play on Expert, I just don't feel like it now."

I smirked at that comment. "Prove it", I challenged. Ethan raised his eyebrows at me, then looked back at the screen. He went towards the bottom of the list and selected 'Brain Stew/Jaded'. He changed his difficulty to Expert and his instrument to Guitar.

"Person who gets the higher score on this song wins" Ethan said. I hesitated for a second. 'Brain Stew/ Jaded was one of the hardest Green Day songs on drums and I still struggle with it. I barely make through it without failing. But I couldn't back down now.

"Deal", I said, trying to sound confident. Ethan pressed start and he immediately began the opening riff to 'Brain Stew', my part coming in shortly after. 'Brain Stew' is a relatively easy song to play on any instrument, even on Expert. It was 'Jaded' that I was worried about. That song was just madness.

As we finished 'Brain Stew' and there was a short transition in song, I glanced over at Ethan and was surprised to see he had a worried look on his face as well.

And then it began. I immediately began to struggle through the song, my ranking quickly dropping to the brink of failing. Ethan's ranking dropped as well. For the rest of the song, we missed a ton of notes and played horribly.

"No more!" I said when the song finished, "My arms feel like they're going to fall off!" Ethan sat down on the couch next to me.

"That was brutal", he laughed. "Imagine playing that song in real life!" Our scores popped up on the screen.

No. Way.

"How in the world did we get the same exact scores?" I said, gaping at the screen. I rubbed my eyes to make sure I was seeing this correctly. Yup, same scores.

"I'm just as good as you on Expert" Ethan teased, going through the song list again. I rolled my eyes and took the guitar controller away.

"Let's switch", I said. Ethan frowned. "I wanted to play more guitar", he pouted. "And I don't feel like playing the drums."

"Tough", I said in a mock-serious tone. "Why don't you show me your best Bellamy vocals?"

Ethan blushed. "Umm, I don't like to sing. At least in front of other people."

"Not even in front of me?"

Ethan shook his head. "I have a terrible voice. Give me any instrument and I can play quite well. Put me in front of a microphone and Dom singing 'Creep' will sound better than me."

I tried not to laugh at the comparison and gave Ethan a hug and the guitar. "Aww, I'll sing for a bit", I said, grabbing the microphone. "Pick a good song I can belt the lyrics to!"

Ethan smirked and quickly chose the song. I looked at his choice and laughed.

"Really, you want me to sing 'Longview'?"

" It's a classic! Sing it nice and loud so the neighbors can hear you!"


	20. It's a new dawn, it's a new year

January 1st, 2011

Happy New Year Jimmy!

This is the second morning in a row I've woken up in Ethan's arms. I think I could get used to this. I suppose I should start from yesterday afternoon.

Yesterday Evening

After an intense day of gaming, Ethan left to his house to change for the party. The rest of my family returned and we all got ready for the evening. I struggled to find the perfect New Year's Eve outfit, finally settling on a sparkly black dress with my favorite pair of Cons. My mother didn't look very pleased at my choice of footwear, but she simply shrugged it off. Later we picked up Ethan, who looked simply irresistible dressed in all black except for a white belt and tie and hair expertly styled.

"Who taught you to dress so nice?" I teased as he entered the car and sat beside me.

"Keep it up and I'll have to find someone else to kiss at midnight", Ethan whispered. I pouted and Ethan giggled and kissed my nose.

"You're so cute when you do that", he said, putting an arm around me.

When we arrived at the Gabrielio's house, the party was already well under way. Loud music was blaring and there were even people mingling on the front lawn, despite the 20 degree weather. Our group squeezed into the house and we all went our separate ways. My parents went to the bar and my brother spotted some of his school friends, leaving me and Ethan to fend for ourselves.

Ethan found a box of party favors on the kitchen counter. Looking through them, I found a plastic top hat that went well with my outfit and Ethan donned a pair on sunglasses in the shape of '2011'.

He checked his watch. "It's almost seven", he said. "Which means it's going to be midnight over in London."

"Let's call Matt and the guys!" I said. Ethan smiled and led me outside. He took out his phone and dialed Matt's number, setting the phone to speaker. When Matt answered, there was a ton of commotion happening on the other line.

"ETHAN!" Matt shouted. "It's almost time!"

Ethan and I laughed. We could hear the countdown begin. We shouted the final ten seconds along with Matt. At zero, Ethan grabbed me and planted a hug kiss on me.

"It's only seven silly!" I laughed.

Ethan smiled. "I'm still on London time I suppose." It was impossible to hear Matt over the celebration going on at his end, so Ethan ended the call and we went back inside.

Soon, it was time for the East Coast to enter the New Year. Everyone crowded into the living room to watch the famous ball drop in Times Square on television. People were handing out confetti poppers and noisemakers during the final minutes of 2010.

FIVE! Ethan grabs my hand.

FOUR! We glance at each other.

THREE! A smile.

TWO! We face each other.

ONE! Our lips meet.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! A shower of confetti covers us as a chorus of shouts and noisemakers ring out.

"I love you", we said to each other at the same time. We laughed at the coincidence. Soon, our fellow partiers demanded our attention as we hugged and talked to others.

Around two AM, people begin leaving the party. I look for my parents and find them drunk and giggling on the couch.

"Are we going to go soon?" I yawned.

"We can't drive in this condition!" my mother slurred. My dad nodded in agreement, almost falling over.

"Um, I can drive you know", I said. Mom shook her head.

"Nope! There can be drunks out there! We're staying here tonight! The Gabrielios already said yes." Mom slumped over on the couch and fell asleep while Dad curled up on a recliner. At least they're still somewhat responsible while completely drunk.

I go over to Ethan and Kevin, who are waiting by the doorway. "Find a comfy spot" I sighed. "We're here until Mom and Dad sober up." Kevin rolled his eyes while Ethan gave me a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry kids", Mrs. Gabrielo said, walking up to us from behind. "We have plenty of rooms available for you to spend the night in. Also, we have some more comfortable clothes for you to change into." She led us upstairs to a long hallway lined with doors.

"This is the bathroom. Extra toothbrushes are under the sink." She pointed to a door. "This will be your room", she told me, opening the door and turning on a light. It looked like it might have belonged to the Gabrielos' daughter before she moved out to school. The walls were dark purple and covered with posters of male models. The bed and furniture looked very girly.

"My daughter Allison is the same size as you and she left a few clothes in the dresser in closet", Mrs. Gabrielo said happily. "You can change while I show these young men to their rooms."

After closing the door, I browsed through the clothing options. "Allison must have been very popular in high school", I muttered as I pushed aside teeny denim shorts and tube tops in every color. I finally found a pair of leopard print shorts (Dom would love these) and a plain black t-shirt when there was a soft knock at the door.

"I almost confused you for my daughter", Mrs. Gabrielo chuckled when I opened the door. She leaned in close. "Next to the closet door is a door to the bathroom, which also happens to be connected to the room where your little friend is staying at." She winked at me and placed a bottle of cider in my hands.

"Now, I won't give you alcohol but I figured the two of you should at least enjoy yourselves", she said with a knowing smile.

"Wow, um", I stammered. "Thank you I guess." I truly was at a loss for words. She was giving us permission to sneak around while my parents were passed out right downstairs, even though we did the same thing the night before.

"Have a nice night", she said, closing the door. I looked at the bathroom door, then at the bottle in my hands. As I was studying the label and trying to figure out what to do next, there was a knock from the bathroom door.

"Come in", I whispered. Ethan poked his head around the door and smiled when he saw me.

"I'm guessing she told you the same thing?" Ethan said, walking into the room dressed in sweats and carrying a box of chocolates. The both of us laughed and Ethan plopped down on the bed, attempting to open the box of sweets.

"Talk about awkward", I sighed, sitting down next to Ethan, who was chewing a white chocolate truffle.

"To be honest, I would have snuck into your room even if they weren't connected", Ethan said, giving me a wink.

"Since when did you start getting so rebellious?" I said, taking a few chocolates from the box.

"Since when did you start wearing leopard shorts to bed?" he laughed, pointing out my outfit.

"This was one of the more tame choices", I said, staring at the dresser. "I like these though. Super comfy and cute! What do you think?"

"Besides the fact that I keep on imagining Dom in those shorts", he said. I gave a laugh. "I think you look adorable."

"Aww", I said, kissing his nose. "You're just so sweet!"

"I'm made from sugar, spice, and everything nice!" Ethan joked, lying back on the bed. He opened his arms and I lay next to him, Ethan wrapping his arms around me.

"It's already 2011", Ethan sighed. "June is going to come too fast."

I nodded slowly. "I know. But….don't think about it too much, or else it'll feel faster. Let's just enjoy this until you…" I couldn't bring myself to say it. Ethan knew what I meant because he gave a small nod. He had a troubled look on his face.

"Hey", I said, touching his face. "What's wrong?" Ethan looked down and shook his head. He gave me a smile, but I could tell it was fake.

"Just thinking about something", he said. "Nothing important though." It looked like he didn't want to talk about it so we laid in silence for the next few minutes.

"You know you can tell me anything", I whispered. Ethan smiled at me and gave me a hug.

"I know darling", he said. "It's just that I'm enjoying our time together and I really don't want it to end. I'm really dreading June now. But like you said, let's not focus on that. Let's enjoy every moment we have together."

I nodded, surprised at the lump forming in my throat. This amazing guy came into my life only four months ago and I fall for him. Hell, I think I fell for him on the first day we met! It seemed we had all the time in the world and now our days are getting numbered.

Not wanting Ethan to see me getting upset, I get out of bed to quickly turn off the lights. As Ethan wraps his arms around me again and whispers 'I love you' before kissing my cheek, it takes all of my strength to not burst into tears.

So that's how I ended up in Ethan's arms this morning. Unfortunately, I could hear my parents moving around downstairs so I woke up the slumbering brother-of-a-rock-star and kicked him out of the room. We brushed our teeth, dressed in our party outfits from the night before, and headed down to the kitchen. My parents looked exhausted as they slumped over their cups of coffee, both groaning and holding their heads. Mrs. Gabrielo was serving her husband and Kevin some pancakes while she gave us a smile when we entered the room.

"Sleep okay?" she asked us. We both nodded nervously and looked over at my parents, who weren't even paying attention to the conversation due to their hangovers. We sat down and enjoyed some delicious pancakes. After eating and helping the Gabrielos with some post-party cleanup, we dropped off Ethan and headed back home.

Walking from the car to the front door, I noticed a package on the porch. It must have gotten here last night after we left for the party. Reading the information, I found it was addressed to me and it came from Exeter. Gasping loudly, I picked up the box and ran inside.

"Please, PLEASE work!" I said, tearing open the box in the living room. My family stared at me curiously as I ran to my room, grabbed my amp, and brought it back. I delicately lifted up the guitar from the box and plugged it in, the Kaoss pad glowing.

"It works."


	21. Reject

January 4th, 2011

Dear Jimmy,

I came back from school to find letters from all of the colleges I applied to in the mailbox. My heart was pounding as I observed the different sizes of envelopes. Big ones mean that you're accepted and the school was sending you more information about their school. Small ones were rejection letters. There were mostly large envelopes, which was a good thing, but there were several small ones.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. Looking at the screen, I saw it was Ethan.

"Did you get the letters too?" he asked. I nodded, and then realized I was talking on the phone so I said, "Yeah."

"Do you want to open them together?"

"Yeah. Come over now. I don't want to wait."

Ten minutes later, Ethan pulled up to the house. He was carrying several different sized envelopes. A few names I recognized but most of them were schools in England that I had never heard of. We sat down together in the living room.

"I suppose we should start with the large ones first", Ethan offered. We began opening letters, smiles growing on our faces. I had been accepted to Temple, Edinboro University, Bloomsburg University, and Penn State University-Main Campus. Ethan was accepted to the University of Bath, University of Bristol, and the University of Portsmouth. We looked at our small letters, both of us with two envelopes.

"I suppose I'll go first", I said, ripping open the first letter from Eastford University, my top school even though it was a private school that I had serious doubts of getting into. Wait a second….

"I got in!" I yelled, jumping up and down. "I can't believe it!" I thought that my scores hadn't been high enough compared to the range they normally accept from applicants, but something in my application seemed good for them.

Ethan opened his letter from the University of Nottingham, his top school. A few seconds of silence and…

"I got in!" he said, jumping up with me. All this scare about envelope sizes were all for nothing.

Except the final two letters.

Ethan and I looked at the letters in our hands with apprehension. The thing about these schools was that the one in my hands was from the University of Nottingham and the one in his hands was from Eastford. Back in November while we were both applying for schools, we decided to apply to the top school of the other person. Both schools had great programs in what we wanted to study, mine being Medicine and Ethan's being Pharmacy. If we were both accepted into the same school, then there was a chance we didn't have to say goodbye in June.

"Ready?" Ethan asked quietly. I nodded and we opened our envelopes at the same time. The first sentence was all I needed to read.

We regret to inform you…..

I sighed and sat down on the couch. Ethan looked shocked and sat down next to me. We exchanged letters and it turned out Ethan was also rejected. I sat back and blew out a burst of air. Neither of us could find the right words to say.

June is coming sooner than we thought.


	22. Plan B

January 21st, 2011

Dear Jimmy,

Don't remind me. I know I haven't written in a long time. School has been hectic lately. Good thing Senioritis hasn't affected me yet or else I know I would be failing at least three classes by now. The main reason for writing now is because all of the seniors were called to the auditorium at the end of the day.

I settled down into the comfy seat next to Ethan and my friends. "This time of year is normally when the principal talks about prom and when we can buy tickets", Nicole said excitedly. Ethan and I gave each other a smile. We never talked about going to prom but I liked the idea of going with Ethan. Even though I'm not much of a girly-girl, but the thought of slow-dancing with Ethan dressed in a tuxedo and me in a beautiful dress brought a smile to my face.

The teachers quieted us down and Dr. Cunningham walked on the stage, followed by Amanda Raven, the class president. Both of them had worried looks on their faces. Dr. Cunningham took a deep breath before stepping forward to the microphone.

"Hello students", Dr. Cunningham began. "I hope everyone is doing well in their studies. You are all called here because." She paused before continuing. "Your class does not have enough money in order to have prom." There were loud gasps from every part of the room.

"I already bought my dress MONTHS ago!" a girl wailed two rows behind us.

"Okay, settle down everyone", Dr. Cunningham ordered, although with a worried tone. "Since the new high school is being built next year, cuts have been made and the superintendent can only allow so much money for the prom funds. Instead, Amanda and the Student Council have come up with an alternative."

Amanda stepped up to the microphone. "Hey guys. I know you're all bummed out about not having prom. I am as well." Dr. Cunningham stared guiltily at the ground. "Instead, we have decided to have a carnival instead!"

Umm, what?

Students murmured to each other. Amanda, who is very popular and used to talking in front of large amounts of people, turned red and waited for the room to quiet down.

"Yes, a real carnival. It will have rides, games, and, a lot of food. My uncle owns a big carnival ride company and has offered some of his workers and rides to us for free. We can pay for the games and food with the money we have already earned. We are also looking in getting some live entertainment such as a DJ and some local bands. Everything is still in progress but we will have more updates soon."

The crowd seemed to warm up to the idea and applauded when Amanda finished. Even though I was disappointed in not having a prom, a carnival sounded even more fun!

"Will you win me a giant teddy bear in the carnival?" I asked Ethan as we walked to our cars.

Ethan chuckled. "Sorry babe, but I'm hardly athletic. I'll probably end up hitting the game attendant instead of the stack of bottles." The both of us laughed and said our goodbyes before leaving.


	23. You Don't Mess With The Faff Bag!

February 1st, 2011

Greetings St. Jimmy Kane,

Ever since the big carnival announcement, most of the senior class's attention has been devoted to preparing for it even though it won't happen until the end of May. Since the carnival is mainly for the seniors, the underclassmen in their clubs and sports teams have offered to run food and drink stands (talk about a support system). Still no news on the live entertainment though. Student Council asked everyone to suggest artists to them, but the students don't seem to realize we are on a budget and we can't have the Foo Fighters or Nicki Minaj perform.

While working on a diagram of the circulatory system, my computer beeped. Looking up I saw that Matt wanted to video chat with me on Skype. I looked at my homework. I really needed to study but when Matt Bellamy calls, you don't ignore him!

I answered the call and Matt's face popped up on the screen. His brown hair was done in a messy-but-still-looks-good fashion and he had a small amount of stubble on his face. He was also wearing his infamous "What's the pig deal?" shirt yet again.

"Trying out a new look?" I teased. Matt gave a soft chuckle.

"I tend to get lazy", Matt yawned, stretching his arms. "I just woke up actually."

"You are such a rock star", I said. "How's the Grammy rehearsal?"

"It's been going quite well actually", Matt said in an excited tone. "The visuals look great and we sound fantastic. We won't be able to have a rehearsal in the Staples Center until next week though, but I know we'll do fine. Are you sure there is no way I can convince your parents to let you and Ethan come to the awards with us?"

I shook my head. "No, they seemed quite serious about it. We'll be cheering for you from my living room when you guys walk on stage to accept your Grammys!"

Matt shook his head. "Don't say that we won! You don't know if we're going to win."

"How many times have you practiced your acceptance speech?" I teased.

"I'm just going to wing it", Matt said with a wink, "_If_ we win that is."

"Relax, you know you guys are the clear winners for this."

Matt smiled widely. "How is that carnival coming along?"

"A lot more people are interested in it than when the idea first came up. Even I was a little skeptical at first. Everything seems to be going along smoothly, except for the entertainment. Student Council is still struggling to find some good local artists."

"Hmm", Matt said, deep in thought. Suddenly, someone yelled loudly from Matt's side.

Matt laughed loudly. "I hid Dom's favorite lotions last night before going to bed", he explained.

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU BELLAMY!" Dom roared, the voice getting closer.

"Oh shi-" The video call ended and I sat there laughing at my computer until tears formed in my eyes. Muse never fails to a-muse me.


	24. The Declaration

February 5th, 2011

Dearest Jimmy,

It all started when I was cleaning my room this afternoon, 'Seven Nation Army' playing from my laptop. Suddenly, the music stopped and the familiar ring from a Skype caller began. I walked over to see who it was and surprised to see not one, but two callers wanted me. Two Bellamys. There was a message from Ethan.

We need to talk to you at the same time.

Sitting down, I accepted the calls and Ethan and Matt's faces appeared on the screen. I'm used to it, but it's just so odd how closely the two resemble each other. They even wore the same smile when they saw my face.

"So what's up?" I asked curiously.

"Matt has offered to have Muse be the live entertainment for our carnival", Ethan said happily, Matt nodding in agreement. My jaw dropped and I stared at the two of them. Muse performing at MY small school? This has got to be some sort of joke. Or maybe I'm having a really good dream.

"During the beginning of May we are going to have a few gigs in Russia but we will be finished by the time the carnival rolls around", Matt said. "I talked to the guys and they liked the idea as well. Since you won't be having a prom, we want this day to be as special as possible."

I was touched by Matt's generosity. "Wow", I choked out, "Thank you so much!"

Matt smiled, pleased. "I spoke with your principal briefly last night and she immediately jumped on the idea." All three of us laughed at the thought of Dr. Cunningham getting excited at finally finding live entertainment. "She says she will be speaking to you two on Monday morning."

Uh oh. I can only imagine what kind of lecture we will be receiving from her.

Matt glanced at his watch. "Damn it I'm late for my Grammy outfit fitting", he muttered to himself, "You two have a nice day and we'll talk later. Oh! I almost forgot! Try to think of some songs we should play at this carnival. You guys know better than us what the crowd will like to hear."

Matt signed off and it was only me and Ethan left. We both had huge smiles on our faces.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Ethan asked.

"Get your butt over here so we can make some setlists!"


End file.
